Head Over Heels
by LIFE the RANGER
Summary: Jason Grace finds new kid, Nico di Angelo, fascinating. He's also slightly saddened by the treatment the dark-haired boy receives and does his best to befriend him. But when Nico cracks the biggest whip of them all, Jason is left reeling. He has to soon face facts; he's head over heels in love with Nico already. Rated T for boy/boy, swearing, the usual. Jasico!
1. Prologue-In Love Already

Alright guys, so this is what I came up with in Creative Writing class the other day. It's my first attempt at Jasico, so be nice. Suggestions are always welcome too! I don't exactly know where this is going, this is just…let's call it the prologue.

…

Jason Grace found something about the new kid, Nico di Angelo, strangely alluring. Maybe it was the fact he was Jason's polar opposite. Nico wore dark clothing, kept to himself, and rarely talked. Whereas Jason was light all around, was immensely popular, and oftentimes was heard above all the others in his class. Nico also seemed to excel in class, while Jason excelled out on the track and in the pool. He was just as good as running as he was at swimming. Both teams fought to have him on the varsity team when he was still in middle school, and now, as a junior, he was the sort of team captain of both teams. School he did fine in, but the real place he shined was elsewhere.

Nico, on the other hand, did well in every subject he was in, Jason came to realize. He had a natural talent with words and the way they were put together. His brain was quick and calculating, perfect for both math and science. He remembered the most miniscule facts for history. The only place he didn't do well was gym, and Jason ought to know. Nico was in his gym class. Nico looked vaguely uncomfortable in the school issued white shirts and purple shorts, and he ran rather slowly for someone who had an athletic build. He didn't do much when they played other games, such as dodgeball or basketball or the occasional tennis. Maybe that was another thing Jason found alluring about the boy. He was just so . . . different from Jason himself.

"Hey," he said kindly, sidling up to Nico. The smaller male eyed him warily, and Jason felt bad for the kid. He'd obviously had bad experiences with jerks in the locker room. But Jason wasn't like that. No, Jason was kind to everyone he met. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. "What's up? Nico, right?"

"Um, yeah," Nico squeaked, fingering the hem of his white shirt. "You're Jason, right? All the girls talk about you, you know?" Jason made a face and shook his head. He didn't care one way or another what the girls were saying about him. He swung for the same team, so to speak. Girls held no particular interest to the blonde. Then again, they never really had.

"Yeah, I'm Jason," the blonde replied, choosing to ignore the second comment the dark-haired boy had made. "If memory serves me correct, you're relatively new here." Nico nodded as Jason gently lay his palm flat against the dark-haired boy's back and steered him out of the locker room. People were staring, but most likely it was at Jason himself. See, no one exactly knew that he was gay, and that he had a crush on Nico. He wasn't entirely sure himself about that second one. Sure, he found the dark-haired new boy fascinating, but it was more like the study of a new science experiment. He wouldn't go so far as to say he had a crush on him. Not yet anyway. Certainly feelings changed, and the blonde boy almost expected them to. He wasn't above liking a boy who was unlike himself.

"God, I hate gym," Nico said softly as they took their places at the painted red line. "I'm never any good." Whenever the boys got out of the locker room, they were welcome to do the beginning stretches at any time. Jason did then, raising his arms above his head, twining his fingers together, and holding them that way for fifteen seconds. Then he leaned down and rested his fingertips lightly on the tips of his shoes and holding it for another fifteen seconds. The stretches were a series of movements designed to make one both limber and loose, and Jason was both. Frankly, he found the stretches themselves to be rather unnecessary. But Mr. Holme preached physical fitness, and he found them every bit as necessary as breathing. Reluctantly, Nico followed suit, half a pace behind the other boys as usual. Jason waited patiently while the smaller male caught up, then did them with him, until they were the only two left. Nico shot him a look, which the blonde caught out of the corner of his eye. He winked at the shorter male before straightening, more or less standing at attention.

"Alright kiddies!" Mr. Holme boomed from his little corner, causing some laughter from the small gaggle of boys. "Today's activity is dodgeball. Select Captains and get to it!" He buried his face back into his Sports Illustrated magazine.

"Jason and Percy!" someone called out, steering the blonde boy and his brunette counterpart up front. Percy smiled at the blonde and shook his hand. They were on the same track team and the same swimming team. They would always be teammates first, opponents second.

"You pick first," Percy offered, stepping back a pace. Jason grinned easily at him. "Nico," he replied automatically, scanning the small crowd until he found the shock of dark hair he was looking for. "C'mere," he said, tilting his head to the side. Nico stumbled forward and halted beside Jason in a daze. There was a chorus of surprise from the boys assembled. Half hadn't even seen Nico before now, and they were a little disappointed by what they saw. Nico was nothing special, by gym standards. "Now, now ya'll," Jason drawled, slinging an arm over Nico's shoulders. "He's a good guy. Just give him a chance." Even Percy was looking at him skeptically.

"Leo," Percy finally said, breaking the tiny trance-like state of the boys. A lanky kid who, admittedly, was actually good at running around and throwing a ball, moved beside him, Jason grinned at his friend and gave him a little nod of thanks. Percy gave a tiny shrug of his shoulders in return and motioned to the rest of the eagerly awaiting boys.

"Frank," Jason said, and beside him, both Nico and Percy groaned. For different reasons, the blonde thought. Frank was, by the loosest definition, a giant. He towered above his classmates and had biceps bigger than Jason's head. But, despite his size, he was rather clumsy and awkward, albeit a good athlete. Frank moved to stand just behind Nico, and the dark-haired male involuntarily pressed himself against Jason in an attempt to escape the giant's gaze. A smile twitched at the corners of the blonde boy's mouth. He didn't say anything, and Nico seemed not to know exactly what he was doing. But the other boys did.

"Hey di Angelo!" Will Michaels called out, pointing. "Are you dating Jason now? Paws off him, you skinny fag!" Nico backpedaled, horror written all over his face. Jason rounded on Will, eyes blazing.

"Watch your mouth!" he demanded. "Nico's a good kid. Don't pester him." But Nico had run back into the locker room. "Aw man. Nico!" Jason ran after him. "Frank, pick the rest of the team!" the blonde called over his shoulder. "Nico, wait!" He shouldered his way into the locker room, glancing around wildly. "Nico, where did you go?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

"Leave me alone Jason," Nico mumbled, poking his head out from around the corner. "This is why I hate gym. Jerks like him make it impossible to actually enjoy being in that class." Jason went around the corner and found Nico slumped against the wall, head down. His dark hair was falling into his face, shielding his eyes. But the blonde saw the ever slight shake of his shoulders.

"Hey, it's okay Nico," Jason said, wrapping his arms around the dark-haired boys shoulders. Beneath him, the dark-haired boy stiffened. "It's okay. Why don't you just come back out? I'll make sure they won't bother you again." But Nico was already shaking his head, much to the blonde's dismay.

"I don't think so Jason," he said softly. "Not when they're out there. It'll never be safe for a guy like me. I'm just going to hang in here." He shoved away from Jason and sat down heavily on the bench, resting his head on his knees. Jason stood awkwardly at the doorway, arms hanging at his sides like ragdolls. He wanted to try and comfort the dark-haired boy, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, he turned around and pushed his way back out into the gym.

Jason Grace never got out during dodgeball, but his mind was so far away for the class period, a ball thudded dully into his chest and bounced away. He followed it with his eyes. Simultaneously, both sides stopped to stare at him. No one moved for the longest time. No one was entirely sure what to do. Finally, Jason shrugged.

"Guess I'm out," he said a little forcefully, moving off to the side. Still, neither team moved. "Frank," Jason prompted, making shooing motions at the other team. Frank caught the message and hurled the red rubber ball he was holding at the other team, knocking Leo back a pace. And so the game began again. Jason leaned back against the wall and observed them, although he acted like he was holding his head in shame for getting out. He kept most of his focus on Will, silently plotting his demise. Nico was a great kid, and Will had no right to pick on him like he did.

"C'mon Grace!" Frank called, and Jason looked up to notice the giant holding up a ball triumphantly. "You're back in the game." Sighing, Jason shoved off the wall and slowly made his way over. Without thinking about it, he dropped to his hands and knees, and a ball whooshed just centimeters above his head. "Not bad," Frank said approvingly, lobbing his ball back at the other team. Jason got up from his crouched position and continued across the gym until he was at the boys' locker room. He pushed his way inside and glanced around. Nico had moved from the back to the front, and was currently stretched out on his stomach on one of the many wooden benches, a book spread out before him. His feet were dangling off the edge and he seemed oblivious to the blonde's entry. Jason noted, with somee satisfaction, that the dark-haired male was still in his white shirt and purple shorts.

"Hey," he said, dropping down in front of the book. Nico jerked up, startled. "Didn't mean to frighten you buddy," he added apologetically.

"Buddy?" Nico asked, bristling. Jason was taken aback by the sudden hostility. "A real buddy would've stayed in here with me rather than go out there to those monsters. A real buddy would've stopped them before they said those awful things. You aren't my buddy. You're just one of them." Jason staggered back like he'd been punched, repeatedly, in the stomach. "See you never," Nico spat bitterly, gathering up his things and pushing his way out of the locker room. The blonde lurched after him, the words he wanted to stay stuck in his throat.

If he was being honest with himself, what Nico said shouldn't have hurt him like it did. He should've just brushed it off and continued about his merry way, completely unfazed by this turn of events. But if he was being completely honest with himself, he would continue and say that what Nico said to him hurt him like nothing else ever had. More than anything, he wanted to befriend the smaller male he'd grown so fascinated and fond of. Maybe . . . no, that was just silly. But Nico's words hurt like you wouldn't believe. Jason felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and repeatedly stomped on by the football team. Tears blurred his vision until he couldn't see where he was going. Half-way to the locker door, his knees turned to jelly and he toppled to the floor, sprawling out on his stomach. He lay motionless while the tears made sticky tracks down his cheeks. Never before had he been so affected by the words someone had said to him. Perhaps it was time he faced facts. He wasn't just interested in befriending the little dark-haired male.

He was head over heels in love with him already.

…

"Jay, come on now," Percy said. "We need you today." Jason cradled the phone to his ear and curled up on his side, holding his stomach. He wasn't sure if he was really sick or if it was just the fact he kept hearing Nico's voice in his head as he slept. _You aren't my buddy. You're just one of them . . . One of them . . ._ That had played in his subconscious the entire night, making sleep a painful memory. He woke up in cold sweat the first time they knocked around his skull, and every time after that he tossed and turned until he practically fell out of bed. So he'd been up almost twenty-four hours, making him dog tired in addition to heartsick.

"I think I'm coming down with something Perce," he said, coughing for dramatic effect. He could see Percy roll his eyes at the phone. "Besides, you don't want me today. My heart wouldn't be in it. I'd drown."

"We always need you Jay," Percy replied in utter sincerity. "You're the best backstroker we have. Coach says so all the time. Maybe you ought to reconsider?" But Jay shook his head at the phone. He just wasn't in the mood to swim. Actually, he wasn't in the mood to do anything except lay around and feel sorry for himself. Even though he barely knew Nico, he was already heartsick over his accusations.

"I'm just not in the mood Perce," he replied softly. "I'm not going to be at school either. Mom says I can stay home. Tell Coach I'm sorry with all my heart, but I just can't make it today." The blonde paused and thought for a second. "Also, tell him that it's not hard to beat Hassen High. My granny could do it in her sleep." Percy's musical laugh filtered through the phone, causing the blonde to smile unexpectedly. He hung up before the brunette could say much else and groaned, rubbing his upset tummy. He didn't want to move today. In fact, he didn't want to do anything today. He wanted to lay in his bed with one of the few books he read and watch swimming on TV and not change from his flannel pajama pants.

"Jay, are you sure you don't want to go to school?" the blonde's sister, Thalia, asked, poking her head in. She tilted it thoughtfully to one side. "If you aren't even out of bed yet that must be a no. What's wrong little bro, heartsick?" Bile clawed it's way up the blonde's throat and lodged itself there, and no matter how many times he swallowed, it refused to go down. "I'm taking that as a yes, since you won't really respond to me today." She disappeared as suddenly as she came, which Jason was thankful for. He hauled himself up and stumbled drunkenly down the hall, pausing at the bathroom door. The bile rose again, and he lurched inside, sinking to his knees and vomiting into the toilet. He then rested his head on the cool plastic and breathed deeply and evenly for a few minutes until his stomach was settled at last. Rising, the flushed the contents away and stumbled back to his room, sprawling out on his bed. He scrubbed at his face and rolled back onto his side, clawing his way up to his pillow and resting his head on the pillowcase, which was hot and sticky with sweat.

"Jason?" Jason cracked one eye open (unaware he'd closed them in the first place) and found himself face to face with his mother. He groaned inwardly and closed his eye again. "Jason, I heard you being sick sweetie. Is everything okay? Anything you want to talk about?" With great difficulty, the blonde sat himself up and scrubbed at his face once again. Mutely, he shook his head and willed away the pounding in his head and the rolling in his stomach. "You look sick sweetie," his mom commented, mostly to herself. "Just yesterday you were feeling fine."

"Well, today I don't feel good!" the blonde snapped. He took a deep breath and forced the anger away. "Can you please just leave me alone mother?" he asked. He watched as she wordlessly left. He lay back against his pillow, wincing as the wet material touched his bare back. He felt hot and cold and sick and fine all at the same time. There was only one explination for it.

He, Jason Grace, was in love. Head over heels in love. And it was all because of the mysterious new kid, Nico di Angelo.


	2. Chapter 1-You're My Superman

Mmmm not as many reviews as I'm used to. Then again, normally I write Percico (or Pernico for all my technical fans. Not Nicercy though. Nico isn't dom). Jasico is a little new for me I guess, but I'm really liking this. I am glad, however, to see a few people who have liked my stuff in the past. Thanks for all the support guys. I really appreciate you.

I think I've overextended the intro. On with the actual story!

…

Jason felt better after a few days. Or, at least, well enough to go back to school. His mom said he came down with the flu, but Jason wasn't fooled. Every time Nico's voice filtered into his mind he got sick all over again. Nico's words hurt worse than any knife point, causing the constant aches and pains the blonde felt. And he got so little sleep over the last few days he felt physically drained as well as emotionally drained. At least last night he didn't wake up in cold sweat once again. He was getting awfully tired of explaining it to his mom.

"Jay!" Percy exclaimed, running up to him and wrapping his arms around him. Jason grunted from the impact. "Oh my god you're better!" the brunette continued without a pause. "Coach is ready to pull what little hair he still has out. He has been beside himself with worry. We all have." Jason finally managed to pry Percy away from him. If Percy wasn't dating Annabeth already, he'd be sure of two things. One, Percy was gay. Two, Percy was overly fond of him. But neither of those things were true. Nonetheless, Percy tended to attach himself to one person and stubbornly cling to them like a cute, lost puppy. This week must be Jason's turn.

"I bet," Jason rasped, massaging his throat. "Ugh, I feel like shit." Percy's sea-green eyes widened as he trailed the blonde to his locker. "I couldn't miss any more school though," Jason told him without looking back. "I'm sure Coach would've personally visited my house with the whole team if I didn't show up soon. All the same, I still feel like crap."

"Is it Nico?" Percy asked innocently. The blonde halted quickly and the brunette slammed into him. Jason seized his wrist and steadied him before he could fall over. "I'd almost take that as a yes. Something about him bothers you." Percy studied Jason for awhile, and the blonde felt vaguely uncomfortable. No one, not even Percy, knew he was gay. He wasn't eager to volunteer the information either. "He must have said something that sent you through a loop," he decided at last. Jason let out an internal sigh of relief as he stuffed his books and sweater in his locker.

"Something like that," Jason mumbled, grabbing his gym clothes. Unfortunately for him, gym was his first period. He noted that Percy also clutched a bag with his gym clothes, and as Frank and Leo passed by, they did too. They still had ten minutes before class started, but if never hurt to be early. Jason led Percy toward the gym. Well, he didn't exactly lead him. More like he headed in that direction and Percy decided to follow him. "I called him buddy," Jason finally said, surprising even himself. "And he said I wasn't his buddy. I was just 'one of them.'" Percy winced.

"Ouch," he replied at last. "Apply water to burn area, huh?" Jason could've gladly cuffed him, but he would've felt bad afterwards. Percy was one of those people you couldn't stay mad at, and if you did something to him you'd regret it as soon as you did it. It was probably those damn sea-green eyes of his. It made him pretty much irresistible. Not that the blonde actually liked him. He was more of like a little brother to him, which was accurate since Jason was a month older. Besides, Percy meant well. He was purposely trying to be funny to get Jason to smile. They pushed their way inside and began to strip. Jason was then aware of the faint sounds of the scuffle.

"Guys, quit it!" a voice hissed. "Stop. No, those are my shorts!" Jay tugged his shorts on and sped to the back. Will was holding Nico's gym shorts above his head, and the small male leapt to get them. Will tossed them over to Jake, who grinned wickedly. It then became a game of keep away. Nico had tears flowing down his cheeks as he attempted to get his shorts back. It was by no means a soft floor, but it wouldn't break bones, so Jason did the logical thing. He tackled Will. The shorter blonde let out a surprised yelp as he felt himself falling. At the last moment, Jason twisted so they both landed on their sides, safe from danger. Nico's gym shorts sailed overhead and the dark-haired male ran to them, scooping them up and tugging them on.

"Leave him alone I said!" Jason screamed at Will. "I have no idea what the fuck your problem is, but you. Leave. Him. Alone." He bundled Nico up and ushered him out into the gym, keeping one hand on his shoulder as they stood there. "I'm not doing the stretches today," he whispered to Nico. "You don't have to do them if you don't want to," he added as the dark-haired male reached above his head. Nico let his hands drop and stared straight ahead. Jason noticed the tears still falling down his face. Without thinking about it, he gently reached up and brushed them away. Nico flinched, but Jason rubbed soothing circles on his back until he relaxed.

"Alright kids," Mr. Holme said, moving away from his spot in the corner. "Today's activity is… What's wrong with di Angelo?" Slowly, heads turned to look at the dark-haired male. Nico pressed closer to Jason and buried his head in his shoulder, shaking. He clearly didn't like all the attention. Will opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly closed it when Jason shot him murderous looks.

"He's fine Mr. Holme," Percy spoke up. "He's just…" He trailed off, looking to Jason for help.

"Frightened," Jason supplied, taking him back into the locker room. There was a tiny buzz of conversation that died as soon as the door swung closed. Jason sat down with Nico on the bench, then pulled the smaller male onto his lap. He took his t-shirt and draped it over his lap. He knew Nico was more embarrassed of the fact he was caught without his clothes than anything. Nico finally stopped shaking and plucked at the shirt, finally looking Jason in the eyes.

"You stood up for me," he said in a daze. "You actually stood up for me." Jason crushed Nico to him, stroking his hair. "Why?" Nico asked, still dazed. "Why did you do it? I was so awful to you. You had every right to hate me, yet you did the one thing I've been waiting for forever." Jason smiled down at him.

"I don't care how awful you think you've been Nico," Jason replied honestly. "You're still my buddy. And I told you, they're not going to mess with you again. How about we both remain here for the period? I don't want to play with those jerks anyway. Read to me." Smiling, Nico removed the shirt and practically skipped back to the rear of the locker room. He came back and curled up on Jason's lap, opening to his bookmark.

"I left off right at the good part," he informed Jason as the blonde circled his arms around him and held him close. "'It was all Marx could do not to want to fling himself off the cliff after her…'"

…

"Nico certainly looked happier after gym," Percy commented at swim practice. Well, after swim practice. They were busy getting themselves dressed. Jason had no shame, and he changed freely in front of the others. Percy followed suit. No one paid them any attention. They had the front room all to themselves.

"He did, didn't he?" Jason said, tugging on his underwear and then his jeans. He slipped his shirt over his head and settled it comfortably against his skin. All his flu-like symptoms were gone, and right now it felt like he was walking on air. All through gym, Jason sat with Nico in the locker room and listen to him read. It was fascinating. Nico himself got excited when the characters got excited, subdued when they were, and sad when they got sad. After a couple chapters from his book (which he told Jason was called _Beyond the Test of Time_) Nico helped Jason with the small amount of math homework he had. He'd struggled with it the whole time he'd been gone, but once Nico explained it to him, it seemed so easy. "I'm glad I stopped Will," the blonde added.

"Me too," Percy echoed. "I didn't know he and Jake could be such jerks. Nico's a great little guy. He's fiercely intelligent too. I think he even stumped out science teacher with that experiment." Jason wrinkled his nose in amusement at that. He'd heard of Nico's great scientific feat. Apparently, he somehow turned the top of the table into a crystal. They weren't entirely sure what to do with the table itself, so they were going to cover it in glass and display it in the library. "I wanna know how the hell he created the Crystal Table," Percy added.

"I think we all want to know that one," Jason said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He had a butt load of homework to do and he thought about getting to it as soon as possible. "Wanna head to the library down the street with me for a while?" Jason asked, and Percy nodded. He shouldered his own bag and they both made their way down the street. The library was a quaint little place, with shelves full of dusty books and out of date carpet. Jason loved coming, mostly to goof off with friends. He was greeted, however, by a surprise. Nico was slumped over one of the computer monitors, furiously tapping away at the keyboard. "Hey Nico," Jason called, startling the dark-haired male out of his little trance.

"Hey Jay," Nico said, turning back to the computer. Jason watched over his shoulder. Whatever he was typing about, it was fascinating.

"Whatcha typing?" he asked innocently. Nico turned to him warily and Jason's heart about stopped. Nico looked fearful again. "I'm not going to make fun of you," the blonde vowed. "I honestly want to know what you're typing. The story; it's incredible." The corners of the dark-haired boy's mouth twitched in a small smile.

"It's Fanfiction," he replied softly.

"Fanfiction?" Jason asked quizzically. Nico's head shot up.

"You've never heard of Fanfiction?" he asked in astonishment. "Man, you don't know what you're missing. You know that book I read you, _Beyond the Test of Time_?" Jason nodded. Of course he remembered. "It's part of the Test of Time series. It's actually the third book in it so far. The first is _Test of Time _and the second is _Beholding the Test of Time_." Nico was really warming up to his theme now. Jason pulled up a chair and settled beside him. "But I pair Marx with Heath rather than Kathrine. Don't get me wrong, Kathrine and Marx make a good couple…"

"I get it," Jason interrupted. "Marx and Heath share a bond that he and Kathrine don't have." Nico's entire face lit up.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "I do enjoy writing about them. I don't tell people this though." His face darkened. "It would just give them more reason to torture me. I'm weird enough as it is. I don't need to give them more of a reason to hate me." Jason tilted Nico's chin so they were face to face. He looked equal parts sad and pissed.

"Don't talk that way Nico," he said sternly. "You're a great guy and they just need to get to know you better. I'm sure they'll love you when they get to know you, the real you. I already like you and I hope we can be mo…friends." Jason stopped himself from saying more than friends. How embarrassing would that be? Nico shot him a funny look. He looked confused and concentrated at the same time. Perhaps he was trying to piece together what the blonde had actually meant.

"Right," he said at last, signing out of his profile. He stood and stretched. "I better get going. Dad's expecting me home soon." He went to leave, then seemed to think about it. He whirled around and wrapped his arms around the blonde in a quick hug. "Thanks for standing up for me today," he whispered as he pulled away. "Thanks for being my Superman." He ran out before Jason could say anything. Like he'd be able to anyway. He was stunned. Did Nico actually just say that to him? Was he dreaming?

If he'd been in love before, that was nothing compared to the feeling now.

…

Jason Grace was walking on air the rest of the night. Nay, the rest of the week. Nico was absent the next couple of days, which admittedly made the blonde sad, but it didn't dampen his overall spirit. Thursday was the first varsity meet of the season, and not only did Jason place first in his event, he beat three school records in the process. Coach congratulated him and told him what a joy it was to have him back to himself. So far, he'd enjoyed everything about being in love.

"What's on your mind?" Percy asked Jason as the lounged around the blonde's room. "The rest of this week you've been walking on air. What's up?" Jason couldn't keep the grin from erupting on his face.

"It's what Nico said to me at the library," he blurted before he could stop himself. "He thanked me for standing up for him and then he told me I was his Superman. Me, Nico's Superman." He wanted to fall back on his bed and kick his legs in girlish excitement, but he refrained. It would look rather odd with Percy in the room. Percy snorted and shook his head.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you have a crush on him," he replied. Jason frowned thoughtfully and then his blue eyes stretched wide.

"Of course not!" he said. He didn't dare add that he loved him, not like. That he was head over heels in love with this little guy he barely knew but wanted to get to know better. Already his life was turning upside down, but that was okay.

Sometimes, love was worth a little sacrifice.

…

I think I'm going to leave it at that. Sorry this one is shorter than the last. I didn't want to stretch this one, and I honestly didn't know how long the last one was until I transferred it.

I should also add that the book series Nico mentions is by no means real. The books might exist, but I just made them up on the spot.


	3. Chapter 2-Conflicted Feelings

Okay, so obviously the last chapter was really sweet and fluffy. You all know how I operate now. That means something is going to happen. I think we're going to tune in to Nico for a bit (without actually doing so). Also, since I doubt I'll be sleeping tonight, might as well do a little typing while ignoring the pounding in my head. That'd be awesome, wouldn't it?

…

Nico felt happy for the first time since moving to this accused city. Jason seemed nice and also seemed to be genuinely nice. He even took an interest in the things Nico himself did, which meant he had another person to fan girl with when the new book of the Test of Time series came out. Right now, he was curled up on his couch, reading the last few pages of _Beyond the Test of Time_, which Jason would be pissed about in the morning, but whatever.

"Hey bro." Nico practically leapt off the couch when his sister, Hazel, let herself in through the front door. Nico's dad was next door in his own apartment, and so far it'd been rather quiet. He and Hazel shared this one, and he'd enjoyed being home by himself.

"Hey sis," he replied, burying his nose back in his book. "What's up? Make any friends so far?" He heard Hazel rustling through the fridge in search of food, and another smile threatened to break out. Hazel came and plopped across from the dark-haired male, a bottle of water in one hand and a plate of…something in the other hand. She began to noisily crunch on whatever was on the plate, and the sound brought Nico out of his book. He looked at her crossly. "I only have a few pages left of this," he informed her. "Could you wait on the snack?"

"Nope," she said. "As for friends." Nico sighed and closed his book. He'd have to finish it later. "I've befriended Percy Jackson's girlfriend Annabeth." At Percy's name, Nico's interest peaked.

"Percy Jackson, like, friends with Jason Grace, Percy Jackson?" he asked, trying to mask his excitement to some degree. Percy was one of the kids in gym who wasn't overly mean to him, and even stood up for him in the locker room too. But Nico was really only grateful to Jason, who did the most damage to Will, so to speak. Hazel shot him weird looks.

"Yeah, I guess," she replied slowly, watching her brother's reaction. Nico forced his feelings into submission and smiled at her. "I don't know Jason too well," Hazel continued after a moment's pause. "But Percy seems nice. Annabeth informs me that Jason is a lot like Percy. They're pretty much counterparts of each other." Nico frowned thoughtfully. "That means that they're alike but they don't look the same," Hazel elaborated. Nico waved his hand irritably.

"I know what it means," he replied. "I'm just thinking, I guess. I haven't talked with Percy much." Hazel raised one eyebrow and Nico instantly wished he could burrow under the building and die. "Not that I've talked to anyone much," he mumbled, looking anywhere but Hazel.

"Right," Hazel said, and even without looking Nico knew she was rolling his eyes. "I'm glad you've made a friend though," Hazel continued. "Jason's nice. I heard what he did for you." Nico squeezed his eyes shut, though if the incident bothered him now he didn't let on. "People are jerks. I'm glad you found someone who's willing to stand by you."

"It's not just that," Nico said to her softly. "Not only did he stand up for me, he stayed in the locker room with me all through gym, a class he's apparently really good in. He's an athlete as it turns out. I don't know he's taken an interest in befriending a guy like me, but he has. I'm grateful for the effort. He seems to walk on eggshells though."

"That's your own fault," Hazel responded matter-of-factly, earning a glare from her brother. "Admit it Nico. You aren't always easy to get along with, and you often push away people who try to break down the walls you've built around yourself." Nico sighed and let his head fall back against the back of the couch. "I don't say this to make you feel bad, Neeks. It's just the truth. Maybe you ought to let Jason get to know you better. Let him break your walls a bit."

"I want him to Hazel," he commented quietly. "God I want him to. But…something about him. He drives me insane at the same time. When I see him I feel like walking on air instead of burying myself in the earth, He makes me happy." Hazel smiled at him and rose to leave, ruffling his hair.

"You know what that means bro?" she asked as she went down the short hallway to her room. Nico shook his head, mystified. Hazel paused briefly at her door. "It means you're in love." She disappeared inside her room without another word, leaving Nico to ponder that. True, he swung for the same team, but he never fell for jocks like Jason. He wasn't in love with the blonde boy.

Or was he?

…

"Ugh, did you see Nico running in class yesterday?" Will asked the swim team before practice. "I've seen toddlers run faster than him. God, it's like he was running in heels." Jason's blood boiled, but he swallowed his anger. He couldn't very well fight Will today. Coach may kick him off the team, and he couldn't afford to do that.

"Yeah," Jake chimed in. Jake was Will's faithful sidekick, and was also looking to get his ass kicked. The other members of the team, even Percy, laughed as Jake ran around the locker room awkwardly. "'Oh, look at me,'" he said. Jason clenched his fists at his side. He couldn't take it anymore. He rounded on Jake, who was so startled he stopped in his tracks.

"Why are you making fun of someone who isn't even here to defend themselves?" he spat at Jake, who backpedaled fast. "Just leave Nico alone. What the hell did he ever to do you?"

"He did nothing," Will piped up. "He's just fun to imitate. What, do you like Nico or something? Is that why you're so set on defending him?" It was Jason's turn to backpedal. Suddenly he had the attention of all thirty varsity swim members. He looked around at the sea of curious faces and he felt himself flaring up. He couldn't out himself now. It wasn't the time.

"Of…of course not," he said. "It's just…"

"Just what?" Will interrupted. "If you don't like him, it shouldn't matter. You certainly wouldn't be affected by this. I'm just gonna say you like him, and that's why you refuse to let us make fun of him."

"Of course not!" the blonde cried. "I just didn't want you to take all the good ones! Did you see the way he threw during dodge ball? I bet those Hassen guys throw better, and my granny throws better than they do." The locker room roared with laughter, except for Percy. He was frowning at the blonde boy in that thoughtful way he got. He looked disappointed. Jason felt rotten for making fun of Nico, but he couldn't give himself away. He was going to hate himself for this later. Suddenly, the locker room door opened and everyone froze. Most were facing toward the door, but Jason wasn't. He heard someone breathing heavily. He almost didn't want to know. Slowly, he turned and found Nico behind him. He was shaking all over and his hair hid his eyes.

"You too?" he asked quietly, and Jason flinched. He almost would've preferred it if Nico had yelled at him. "Whatever." Nico finally looked up and Jason saw traces of tears in his eyes. "Can I speak to you?" He jerked his head toward the door and Jason followed him wordlessly. "Why'd you do it?" Nico decidedly kept his back to Jason, which just made the blonde feel more like shit.

"Nico, I can explain," Jason began, but Nico held up his hand for silence.

"Please don't," Nico replied quietly. "It was my fault for trusting you. Hazel says I love you." He gave a short, sad laugh. "I thought maybe she was right. But maybe I'm loving the wrong person. You aren't my superman. Not anymore. How can you be my superman when all you do behind my back is tear me down?" Nico bolted before Jason could say anything. The blonde boy sank to his knees in despair.

"Nico!" he called hoarsely long after the dark-haired boy had gone. "I never meant to hurt you! I'm sorry!"

…

Nico groaned and rolled onto his side, watching as the school issued icepack slid off his forehead. Apparently, the ice was supposed to help settle the bass drum beating against his skull, but so far it hadn't done shit. He was in the nurse's office with a headache and stomachache, neither of which were going away any time soon. He rolled back onto his back and slapped the lukewarm icepack back on his forehead. He threw an arm over his eyes and closed his eyes.

"Are you ready to go back sweetie?" Nurse Malloy asked, poking her head into the office. Nico rolled onto his other side to face her and shook his head miserably. "Alright." She let him be, closing the door behind her. Nico rolled back over to face the wall and cursed as the icepack fell once more.

"Fucking shit!" he cried, hurling the accursed icepack away. It wasn't helping anyway. He rubbed his aching tummy and suddenly felt the urge to be sick. He rose from the cot and ran into the bathroom at the back of the office, throwing up into the sink because he couldn't make it to the toilet. "Oh god," he moaned, sinking to his knees and resting his head on the wall. "Nurse Malloy!" he called quietly. She must have been listening because she was by his side in an instant. He barely heard her words as she bundled him up and laid him back down on the cot, tucking a blanket around him. He realized his body was being racked by shivers and he couldn't do anything to stop them. "Don't…phone…home…" he managed to get out. She gave him a funny look, but then she shrugged and floated off, setting a bucket beside the cot before she fully left. Nico scrubbed at his face. There was no reason to be feeling like this.

All his life, Nico di Angelo never let anyone outside of his family break down the walls he'd carefully and painstakingly built around himself. He wasn't trusting of others for obvious reasons. But if word got out that he was gay and actually liked one of the jocks… Well, he might as well paint a giant target on his back. What was the point of torturing himself? It was best to remain aloof so no one had the chance to torture him. But something about Jason Grace rattled Nico, and he wasn't sure yet if it was good or bad. One thing was for sure, he'd let Jason get a little glimpse of his world, but Jason clearly didn't deserve it. He wasn't any better than the rest of them. So much for Jason being nice.

"You have a visitor Nico," Nurse Malloy said, startling the dark-haired boy out of his little trance. "Come on Jason, he's in here." Nico groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. He wasn't in the mood to see Jason, especially since he wasn't sure how he felt about the blonde boy. The cot gave an ominous creak as another person sat down.

"I heard you were sick," Jason said softly. "How come you don't want to go home?" Nico didn't answer. Instead, he pulled the blanket tighter around himself. "I suppose I deserve this huh? I don't blame you. I was a real jackass." Nico's eyes watered under the blanket, but Jason wouldn't see that. Nico rolled so his back was to the blonde. Instantly, he felt the blonde's hand on his back, massaging gently. "Aww come on now Nico, please talk to me." Even though he couldn't see him, the dark-haired boy could hear the slight strain in his voice. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until finally Jason got up and sighed heavily. "Right," he said quietly. "Feel better soon Nico." He left without another word, and finally Nico rolled to face the door, pulling the blanket down just as the blonde disappeared out the door.

"Wait," Nico whispered. He knew it was no use. He wished he knew what he felt for Jason, so then at least he'd have a real reason to feel so heartsick.

…

Once again, Jason Grace found himself heartsick, but this time he felt rotten on top of it. He didn't even mean to hurt Nico, but he did, and in the worst possible way the dark-haired boy could think of. He was right though. Jason wasn't his superman. He wasn't sure what he was, but he wasn't a superhero. He was the dirty, rotten villain. So, of course, Jason went home early to get away from the hustle and bustle of school. Jason's mom came and got him, and the first thing she did was feel his forehead.

"You aren't warm," she said. Jason knocked her hand aside weakly.

"I know this," he said, then sighed. "My heart is heavy mommy." He didn't call her mommy very often, only in times when he wasn't sure what to do. His lower lip trembled. "I don't know what to do." She hugged him tightly.

"I don't know what to tell you baby," she replied softly. "You won't tell me what's going on. Will you tell me?"

"I don't think so mommy," he replied. "I just… I was so mean to someone at school, and I didn't even mean to be. I made him upset and I would never do that." He looked down in shame. If there was one thing his mother taught him, it was to be nice to everyone. Kindness was better for everyone. She gazed down at him sadly.

"You'll just have to try and apologize to him," she replied at last. "I trust you'll do the right thing. That's why I'm so proud of you, my little boy. You have a kind heart. You'll do the right thing. I'm going to go back to work. Do you think you'll be okay here by yourself?" At his nod, she kissed his forehead and headed toward the front door. "I'm proud of you Jay. You're a good person. You'll do the right thing." Jason watched her go and then moved to the window to watch her then. He felt something he hadn't felt in years. He felt the need to crawl into bed with her and cry and have her tell him it's going to alright over and over. That hadn't happened since he outed himself to her in sixth grade.

"Bye mommy," he said quietly, sounding lost. He hoped against hope she was right and he was a good person. It didn't make him feel any less guilty regardless.

…

"Mom," he said softly, shaking her shoulder. She mumbled in her sleep but didn't wake up. "Mommy, wake up," Jason said in a small voice. "I need you." That roused her from her sleep. She blinked her eyes open and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "I've been having nightmares again mom. About people finding out."

"It's okay sweetie," she said, patting the bed. Jason crawled in beside her and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Is it really about that though?" she asked innocently. "Or is it about that boy?" Jason sighed.

"His name is Nico," he responded. "I don't know how I feel about him right now though. I think I like him, but if that's the case, how can I stand by and get away with making fun of him?" She ran her fingers through his blonde hair as he spoke, soothing his jangled nerves. "I don't know how I feel," he repeated.

"You'll figure it out," she promised. "In the meantime, why don't you just be his friend? It seems to me that's what he really needs." Jason smiled a little.

"You're so wise," he said. "Do I have to leave?" His mother laughed and shook her head.

"No sweetie," she replied. "Goodnight." Smiling a little wider now, Jason settled down for the night, lulled to sleep by his mother's fingers running through his hair.

…

Awww Jason baby, you're okay. Nico's gonna forgive you sweetie! He'd better anyway. I hate seeing them upset. Both have suffered an awful lot. Maybe next chapter will be better. I'm also glad this chapter is a little longer than the last.


	4. Chapter 3-The Sleepover

Hey everyone. I write better when it's, like, midnight I guess. But anyway, I think this chapter is going to be a lot of bromance rather than romance, since Jason is going to work on befriending our favorite dark-haired boy. Who's ready for sleepovers?

…

"Hey." Nico nearly jumped when someone behind him spoke, but then he tensed when he recognized the voice. Damn it, why did Jason have to catch him at his locker before their first class? He couldn't very well turn away now. He knew he was being an unreachable jackass, but still, he had some dignity left. Slamming his door shut, he turned and found himself almost face to face with Jason, a feat indeed since the blonde boy had a few inches over him. A grin began to spread its way across the blonde's face as he cheerfully steered the dark-haired boy to the gym. Nico was utterly baffled by Jason's behavior. The other day he was walking on eggshells and then on his way to apologizing, and now here he was, like they were the best of friends and yesterday hadn't happened at all.

"What's up Grace?" Will asked snidely. "Got your boyfriend hanging off your arm again?" Jason turned to him good naturedly, but there was no mistaking the hint of fire in his eyes. The rest of the boys in the locker room shifted awkwardly. Only Percy appeared to be grinning. "Where are you clothes?" Will tried again weakly. "Aren't you going to join us?"

"Nope," he hummed pleasantly. "I have too much to do. Percy." The brunette shot him a confused look. "Tell Mr. Holme that I'll be in here with Nico." He steered the dark-haired boy into the back half of the locker room. "Oh, and if anyone follows us," he added over his shoulder. "I will gladly separate your heads from your bodies. I don't know about Nico, but I want quiet." There was a murmur among the boys, but no one dared follow them, not even Will. You had to pick and choose your battles. This was one that no one wanted to fight right now. Nico, for his part, said nothing. It was chilly in the locker room, though, and he forgot his jacket. He shivered, and instantly there was a sweater being draped over his shoulders. "Can't have you getting sick," Jason said kindly, moving and sitting down on the bench. "Be glad. That's my favorite sweater. No one else can touch it, not even my family."

"Why?" Nico asked suddenly, catching the blonde boy off guard. He blinked in surprise.

"Why can no one else touch my sweater?" he asked lamely. Nico glared at the blonde boy and shook his head.

"No, no," he said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Why are you being so goddamn nice to me even though I've done nothing but make you feel guilty and rotten?" Jason looked dumbfounded for a second. Shivering, Nico stuffed his arms through the sweater and zipped it up. It hung loosely on him, but he felt warmer for the mean time. Jason smiled a little at him.

"It looks good on you," he commented quietly, motioning to the sweater. "Um… I guess I don't know how to answer your question. Can I say something of my own?" At the dark-haired boy's nod, the blonde continued. "I am truly sorry for the things I said. Not only are the untrue, but I hated saying them. I don't like to be mean to people. It's just…" The blonde stumbled to a halt suddenly and stared at his hands, refusing to meet the dark-haired boy's curious gaze.

"It's just…" Nico prompted gently, sitting beside the blonde and taking his hand in his own. Jason's blue eyes widened momentarily as he stared in wonderment at their hands. Even Nico himself wasn't sure why he was doing this. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Jason took a few deep, calming breaths and finally looked up.

"No one knows I'm gay," he said softly. "Except for you now I guess. I didn't want them to think we were boyfriends. Not that it would be a bad thing!" Jason added. "I just don't want them to know yet. I want them to know when I've found someone who suits me." Nico curled up on Jason's lap and rested his head on the blonde's shoulder, closing his eyes and listening to him. Almost without thinking about it, the blonde circled his arms around the dark-haired boy and held him close. "So I had to act like I didn't care," Jason continued after a moment's pause. Nico began absentmindedly drawing patterns on his bare arms, and a shiver travelled down the blonde's spine. "But that was a little over the top," he added unhelpfully.

"No shit," Nico said, completely straight-faced. "What you said hurt me Jason." He buried his face in the blonde's shoulder. "What's worse is I thought you were my friend…"

"I am your friend!" Jason protested. "It was a momentary lapse of judgment and I swear it won't happen again. I would never mean to hurt you, you have to know that. I'm normally nice to everyone and don't usually give in to peer pressure. I've been beating myself up about this." At that, the dark-haired boy finally lifted his head off the blonde's shoulder. He saw that Jason's blue eyes were a little bluer than normal, and with a start he realized that the blonde boy was on the verge of tears. On an impulse, he reached up and gently brushed his fingers under the blonde's eyes.

"Don't cry Jason," he mumbled, placing his head back on the blonde's shoulder. "Please don't cry. I might have acted a little rash. I forgive you." Jason's grip tightened until the dark-haired boy couldn't breathe. Then, before Nico could tell him to stop, he loosened his grip but kept his arms around his waist. Surprisingly, Nico was perfectly okay with it. Not many people could hold him, but when Jason did it, it felt…right. Suddenly, he felt something on his head, and he smiled when he found out Jason was casually running his fingers through his dark hair. "That feels good," he informed him.

"It always lulled me to sleep when I was little," Jason replied. "My mom did it when I couldn't sleep." He didn't add that she had done it last night too. "Hey, it's Friday," he added, almost to himself. "This is gonna sound really crazy, but do you want to spend the night tonight? Percy and I had plans to go to this little pizzeria not too far from my place, but I can cancel. He'll understand." Nico remained silent for a bit while he thought about it. Jason chewed his lower lip anxiously. "What do you say?" he asked.

"Sure," Nico said after a bit, smiling slightly. "I'd like that. Oh." He fumbled with the zipper of Jason's sweater, but the blonde stopped him.

"Oh, you keep it," he said. "I have a ton at home that I can wear."

"But…this one's your favorite," Nico complained. "You said so yourself." Jason smiled down at him and shook his head.

"All the more reason to let you have it," he whispered into the dark-haired boy's ear. "I'll just get a different one. You keep it. As a reminder that I'm not all bad." He set Nico down onto the bench and smiled at him once more, floating off to the front room, where the rest of the gym boys had just gotten back. Nico sat on the bench long after first hour was over, occasionally rubbing the sleeve of the sweater against his cheek. It smelled and felt like Jason, the boy Nico was beginning to fall head over heels for.

…

"Mom you will never believe it!" Jason called when he got home after school. He didn't stick around for the swim meeting. Coach would just email him later. He skipped into his room and made quick work of cleaning it. Basically that amounted to putting all his dirty clothes in the laundry room, putting away the clothes he was too lazy to put away at the time, and removing all traces of garbage. He glanced down at his hardwood floors and frowned thoughtfully. Nico would have a hard night on the floor, he decided. "Mom, do we have an extra mattress or something?" he called, rooting around the tiny house in case she somehow hid one.

"Fresh out Jay," she said, peeking into his room where he was busy constructing a bed from a ton of pillows and blankets. "What, pray tell, are you doing with all those things?" she asked him, rolling her eyes heavenward.

"I invited a friend of mine over tonight, and he needs a place to sleep," he replied without looking up from his work. He'd spread a bunch of pillows out on the floor in the rough shape of a bed, and now he was busy draping blankets over it. "I suppose we could always sleep in the living room," he added, finally glancing at her. "But I don't want that, and I doubt he does. He's rather shy at first." He gave her a thin smile. "I don't know why he befriended me, since we're complete opposites, but he did." He went back to happily constructing Nico's sleeping space.

"Is this the same boy you accidently hurt?" his mother questioned. Just for a moment, he froze, but then he carried on like nothing happened.

"Yeah," he replied. "We made up today though." The doorbell overhead sounded pleasantly, and Jason bolted from his room. He yanked the door open and grinned as Nico clutched his schoolbag tightly to his chest. When Nico saw it was Jason who answered, he visibly relaxed. "Hey Nico," the blonde boy said, stepping aside. "Come in, come in." He gently took the dark-haired boy's arm and led him inside. Nico looked around the cramped little house and he smiled. Jason moved his hand to the dark-haired boy's back and rested his palm flat against it. "Mother," he called. "Come meet Nico." His mother floated in from the hallway.

"Hello," she said to Nico with a kind smile. "I'm Jason's mother, obviously." Nico chuckled lowly and took her outstretched hand, shaking it. "My boy's been quite fascinated with you," she said with a sly smile at the blonde, who turned a nice, healthy shade of pink. "Is that Jason's sweater?" she asked. Nico glanced down and, if at all possible, turned an even darker shade of tan. He hadn't even realized he was wearing it still. Jason loped one arm over his shoulders.

"I gave it to him," he explained. "Nico was cold this morning and I let him wear it, then I told him to keep it." He glanced sideways at the dark-haired boy. "As a reminder that I'm not all bad." Nico smiled at him and unconsciously touched the inside of the sweater with his fingertips. He found himself doing that all day long as a sort of comforting technique. "Come on, I'll show you my room," Jason said, breaking through the fog of Nico's brain. He steered the dark-haired boy down the hallway to his room, closing the door softly behind them. Nico laughed when he saw the makeshift bed.

"What exactly is that?" he asked, pointing at the mound. Jason stuck his lower lip out and pouted.

"That's your bed," he said, throwing himself onto his own small bed. "Unless you want to sleep here." Nico shook his head and let his schoolbag fall into the middle of the blankets and pillows. "That's what I thought," Jason said with a nod, retrieving a book from his nightstand.

"Hey, it's _Test of Time_!" Nico exclaimed in mild surprise. Jason nodded and patted the spot next to him, which Nico took. Jason them proceeded to set the book in his hands. "What do you want me to do with it?" he asked him, shooting him puzzled looks.

"I want you to read out loud to me," Jason said. "I love it when you do that. You're almost as interesting as the story itself. And I figured if there was one book you wouldn't mind reading out loud, it's this one." He gently tapped the cover with his finger. Nico smiled and snuggled into the blonde, flipping to the first page, his surprise growing when he found a bookmark already in place.

"Now long have you been planning this?" he asked Jason with a glare. The blonde boy simply shrugged and gazed at him expectantly. "I see there's no getting out of this," Nico said with a sigh, but secretly, he was glad to have someone to read to. His sister wasn't exactly keen on listening to him when he read out loud (which wasn't often), and she didn't share his taste in books. Jason, on the other hand, was both a keen listener and an enthusiast over his book choice. Once again, he snuggled against the blonde, noting how warm he was, and opened the book. "'Marx Robert lived the perfect life, with the perfect family. His life was always set in stone, and he didn't always like that. But the day he met Kathrine was a day he would never forget…'"

…

A few hours later, they'd finished at least half the book. And Nico's throat was getting sore. So they took a break, emerging from his room a little bleary-eyed. On the kitchen table was a plate of muffins and a pitcher of cold milk, with a little note from Jason's mom. The blonde boy rolled his eyes but helped himself to a muffin all the same. Nico selected one for himself and sat opposite the blonde, peeling away at the wrapper slowly. Jason poured them each a glass of milk and set one in front of Nico. The dark-haired boy picked the glass up and took a sip. The milk soothed his sore throat some.

"Thanks for reading to me," Jason said softly, startling the dark-haired boy. Was he reading his mind? "I enjoy watching you read. And hey, thanks for coming over. It means a lot to me." Nico was once again surprised.

"Really?" he asked doubtfully. "It seems like a guy like you would get everything he wanted in life. I mean, you're the stereotypical California surfer-looking jock. I'm guessing the guys and girls alike throw themselves at your feet." Jason chuckled and took another bite of muffin.

"You aren't wrong," he admitted. "That doesn't mean I like it. I'm rather humble for a jock, I guess. I like to make others feel good, and I don't always like all the attention. I know my strengths and weaknesses." Nico listened quietly, picking at his muffin and sipping at his milk. He remained quiet and thoughtful as Jason settled into his own silence. Nico took the time to study Jason, really study Jason. His blonde hair was cut short and was swept back in the front in a tiny peak. His sparkling blue eyes glinted with amusement and his nimble hands constantly moved around, either picking at the crumbs on his muffin wrapper or fingering the rim of his glass. Jason had a thousand watt smile that he flashed at the dark-haired male often. Nico suddenly stifled a yawn and glanced at the clock.

"Holy shit it's almost midnight?" he asked, his dark eyes widening. Jason's laugh covered him like a blanket and made him feel warm and fuzzy for a few seconds. "I'm beat. Let's go back to your room." The blonde nodded and slid out of his chair, offering his arm to the dark-haired boy. Giggling, he took the blonde's arm and let him lead him back to his room. Jason made quick work of stripping and changing into pajamas. Nico blinked at his lack of modesty and Jason shot him a wan smile. Nico rooted around his schoolbag and swore softly. "I didn't bring any pajamas," he said in dismay. Jason moved to his closet and rooted around for a second before producing a purple shirt with NYC written in silver across the front.

"This is the smallest thing I own," he said, handing it to Nico, going over to his dresser. While his back was turned, Nico stripped and slipped the t-shirt on. It hung loose on him like all of Jason's clothing did, and one shoulder slipped down. "Don't you look adorable in my t-shirt," Jason suddenly whispered in the dark-haired boy's ear, startling him. "I think that'll do for tonight." Nico turned his signature darker shade of tan and crawled under the topmost blanket on his makeshift bed. It was surprisingly comfortable and within minutes he was asleep.

…

"Oh my god no!" Nico sat up in bed and looked around wildly. For a brief moment, he didn't know where he was. But then he remembered; Jason's house. He was spending the night at Jason's house. Why did he have to have a nightmare tonight of all nights. He drew his knees up to his chest and shook all over.

"Nico?" Jason asked groggily, sitting up in bed, hair tousled from sleep. "Are you okay?" Nico eyed him warily. Did he hear his outburst? He laid back down and pulled the blankets tight around himself, refusing to answer in fear his voice would shake. "Are you giving me the silent treatment again?" Jason asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Nico, once again, didn't answer. "Alright." Jason moved away from the bed and scooped the dark-haired boy up out of the middle of the mound of blankets and pillows. "Just come here then," he murmured, setting Nico next to the wall on his bed. He carefully tucked the blanket all around him and then lay beside him, running his fingers through his dark hair. Nico sighed in contentment. He hadn't had someone to sooth him after his nightmares in a long time. He didn't tell Hazel about them.

"Thanks Jason," the dark-haired boy mumbled sleepily. Jason went from playing with his hair to massaging his back gently and rhythmically. Nico gave a little noise of pleasure and found himself snuggling in closer to Jason.

"Sleep tight now, Nico," the blonde boy hummed softly. "Those nasty nightmares won't get you now. I'm not leaving you again." Once Nico was good and asleep, Jason leaned down and pulled the blanket up to his chin, kissing his forehead. "Night adorable little Nico. Sweet dreams."

…

So fluffy it hurts! I like how this was the longest chapter yet lol.


	5. Chapter 4-All of Me

We left off really fluffy, and I want to keep it that way for a bit. They've both been through enough for awhile. I want Neeks to become a little more comfortable with Jay. Let's pick this up on the morning after…

Also, any song lyrics are property of the artists that wrote them.

…

Jason woke up a little disoriented. He was pinned to his bed by something, and since he was still a little bleary-eyed from sleep he couldn't see what it was. Panic began to claw its way up his chest until his vision cleared, and when it did, he smiled down at the sleeping figure. At some point during the night, Nico had tossed his blanket cocoon aside and was cuddled up under the blonde's own blanket. His upper body was positioned on top of Jason while his lower body still came in contact with the bed. His head was tucked neatly under the blonde boy's chin. Chuckling, Jason toyed with his dark curls. Nico made a noise of protest in his sleep and rolled onto his side, curling against the natural curve of the blonde's body.

Jason was content to watch Nico all day long. He'd never seen Nico so vulnerable, and that prickly science-experiment feeling was back. Jason moved slightly to the left and Nico followed suit. It was like he was determined to stay attached to the blonde boy. He once again began to play with Nico's dark hair, twirling the curls around his fingers and letting them slide through. Nico rolled to face him and cracked on eye open.

"You're a pain in the ass when it comes to sleeping in the morning," he mumbled, snuggling deeper against the blonde. "But you're warm, so it's okay." Jason was a little surprised by Nico's bluntness. Nico wasn't straightforward with his answers. Often, you had to poke and prod him, to no avail. "Are you going to say anything?" Nico asked softly, startling the blonde out of his trance. He smiled down at the dark-haired boy.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I was just deep in thought."

"Now that's a bad thing indeed," Nico joked. Jason stuck his tongue out at him and sat up, earning another grunt of protest from the dark-haired boy. He promptly plunked his head onto the blonde's lap. Jason continued to toy with his hair.

"Baby bro!" Thalia exclaimed throwing his door open. Nico flinched and scooted away from Jason, sitting up and covering his lap with his blanket. "Ah, mom was right. You do have a guest. Hi, I'm Thalia." Nico glanced at Jason.

"Thalia," Jason said dangerously, more than a little annoyed. Nico had finally loosened up around him, but now that his sister was present, he'd retreated into his shell again. "You'd better have a damn good reason for breaking my closed door off its hinges.

"Just wanted to check out your little friend," she replied, eyeing Nico up and down. "Is he wearing your shirt?" Nico pressed himself closer to the blonde, shaking ever so slightly. Jason wrapped on arm around him protectively and whispered soothing things into his ear until he calmed down. Nico was fearful of every new person, Jason realized then, no matter how nice they may seem. "Aw, you two are so cute!" Thalia gushed. Jason turned pink and looked away.

"Can we go to my apartment?" Nico asked into Jason's ear, pressing his lips to it. Jason shivered at the close contact. "My sister shouldn't be there yet. God knows where she disappears to every night." Jason cocked his head to the side and stared thoughtfully at the wall for a few moments.

"Sure," he whispered back, rising and shoving his sister out of his room. She shouted curses at him as he shut the door forcefully and locked it. "Now we can dress in peace," he said softly, aware Nico wouldn't want to change in front of his sister. Nico shot him a grateful look and slipped on the jeans he'd had on the day before. Jason noted that he kept on the blonde's purple shirt. He didn't have the heart to ask for it back. Maybe after awhile, Nico would just have his own little stash of Jason's clothing. The thought made Jason smile as he pulled a tank top and a forest green hoodie out of his closet. He slipped both on and rolled the sleeves of his hoodie up to his elbows. He rooted around his dresser and found tight fitting dark jeans. He slipped them on and found that they hugged his bottom and ankles nicely. He slipped on the black pair of Converse he had, completing the outfit. One of Nico's eyebrows rose, though the blonde wasn't sure why.

"You sure like you're fashion," he commented, slipping on the sweater Jason gave him and mirroring his actions by rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. Somehow, it made the shirt seem a little smaller. "Are you some sort of secret fashionista or something?" Jason wrinkled his nose.

"No," he replied, gazing around his small room. He gathered up his phone, his laptop, and his copy of _Test of Time_. "I just like to look nice once in awhile. There's nothing wrong with it, is there?" Nico furiously shook his head, spilling dark curls into his face, which he proceeded to brush away with the back of his hand.

"Nothing wrong at all," he said with a lopsided grin. "I was just wondering. Let's go." For once, it was the dark-haired who led the blonde, and he allowed himself to be led around. "My apartment isn't actually too far from your house," Nico informed him as they slipped out the front door unnoticed. "I just walked here, so I hope you don't mind a short walk." Jason shrugged. He needed some exercise after a few days without, so a walk would do him good. New York may have never slept, but in the morning it was pretty damn peaceful. Jason gazed around at all the buildings, streetlights, and pigeons, which you could find without actually looking for them. Almost suddenly, the short houses disappeared into brownstones. A few in, Nico paused, fumbling with his keys. He led the blonde up a couple flights of stairs and paused once again in front of the first apartment. He jammed the key into the lock and twisted, and the door swung open.

"So this is your apartment?" Jason asked, looking around. It was a small little affair, but it was pretty cute and cozy. Nico made himself comfortable, and Jason sat opposite of him, smiling as he buried his nose into his book. Nico smiled at him as well and pulled his computer onto his lap, typing away.

"Nico?" Jason jerked up suddenly as a girl materialized in the doorway, hair splayed wildly around her caramel-colored face. Her skin was about a shade darker than Nico's, and her almond eyes scanned Jason thoughtfully. "I bet I can guess who you are. Annabeth and Percy talk about you all the time. You're Jason Grace. Hmm, I thought you'd be taller." Jason blushed under her scrutiny. Nico looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. "No matter, I'm glad Nico brought his little boy toy home for a visit." She leaned casually against the doorframe.

"Boy toy?" Jason squeaked, casting a horrified glance at Nico. The dark-haired boy rose from his place on the couch.

"Jason is not my boy toy," Nico spat. "He's my friend, and I'd appreciate it if you talked kindly to him." Hazel tisked at them. "Hazel," Nico growled warningly.

"Better not let father find out," Hazel retorted. "You know how he gets when someone gets to close to his precious Nico." All the color drained from the dark-haired boy's face and he actually took a fearful step back. "I'll keep quiet," she promised. "So long as this little…pet doesn't break your heart." Nico cast an anxious glance at Jason.

"He won't," he vowed. "He's been good to me sis. I doubt he'd fuck it up now." For once Jason was glad he was a little tongue tied. He had no idea how to deal with Hazel. Nico seemed perfectly at ease around her and her craziness, and somehow knew what to say. Her expression softened as she gazed once more at Jason, sitting in stunned silence on the couch, _Test of Time_ balanced on his knee. Nico moved and sat beside the blonde, resting his head on his shoulder. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around the dark-haired boy's waist. The ghost of a smile touched Hazel's features.

"Be good to him Jay," she said as she turned to leave. "Oh, and I won't be telling Percy and Annabeth about this. No need to tell them if you aren't ready to yourself." Jason's jaw dropped open as she flounced back into her room, closing the door softly behind her.

"Is she some sort of mind reader?" he asked, looking down at Nico. The dark-haired boy simply shrugged.

"She's my sister," he said simply. "She has a way of knowing things." Without another word he pulled his computer over to himself, setting it against Jason's propped leg and beginning to type once again. No doubt he was working on the fifth chapter for his story. It had almost a hundred reviews already. To say Jason was impressed would be putting it mildly. He went back to reading his book. He was three-fourths of the way through the book already, and with luck he'd finish tonight. It was a captivating read. He began to hum along to the lyrics in his head, which just so happened to be All of Me by John Legend. "What's that?" Nico asked, glancing up from his computer.

"It's All of ME by John Legend," Jason replied. "I love that song."

"Never heard it," Nico said with a frown.

"That has to change," the blonde decided, taking the dark-haired boy's laptop from him. He opened Youtube and punched in All of Me Lyrics. He clicked on the video that popped up and let the music wash over him. He didn't know the first verse that well, but when the chorus came on, he couldn't resist singing along. "'Cause all of me, loves all of you,'" he sang, closing his eyes. "'Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections. Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you. You're my end and my beginning, even when I lose I'm winning. 'Cause I give you all of me, and you give me all of you.'" Jason stopped as the second verse came on, finally opening his eyes. He'd perfected that particular part over the weeks he'd listened to it. It was his dream to sing it to the love of his life. His lips curled up into a smile. He just did.

"Wow," Nico breathed, reaching up and placing his palm on the blonde's cheek. "You have an amazing voice Jason. Have you thought about joining choir? They could use a good singer like you." Jason let out a short laugh and shook his head.

"A gay boy in choir? Seems pretty stereotypical to me," he said. Nico frowned up at him. "Besides, I'm saving that for someone really special. It's a dream of mine to sing it to the person I love. Guess you got a little sneak peek, huh?" Was it just the blonde's imagination, or did Nico's face fall a little as he said that? "Actually, I want it to be the song I dance to at my wedding. I think it's perfect." He sighed dreamily. Nico said nothing. He let the blonde boy have his dreams. Nico wished so bad he was a part of them. "And I'll quietly sing it into my husband's ear as we twirl around the dance floor," Jason whispered right in the dark-haired boy's ear. "'Cause all of me, loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections.' That's my favorite line."

"It is beautiful," Nico agreed hoarsely. He didn't want to hear Jason talking about his future if he wasn't a part of it. "Your future husband is a lucky man." He refused to meet the blonde's gaze, and tears began to well in his eyes. Abruptly, he stood and marched to his room, slamming the door shut.

"Nico!" Jason called through the closed doorway. "Are you okay Nico? Nico?" A pause. "Shit. Nico, I'm sorry. I don't know why I went on rambling about my future. I'm not even sure I have a future with someone." Nico stared at the closed door, a little curious. "I'll never have a husband if I don't out myself. Well, I guess I could, but I'd have to hide it from everyone. I don't want that. I want everyone to know I'm in love."

"Is that so?" Nico asked quietly, throwing his door open. He was shocked to find tears making their way down Jason's cheeks. "Hey, hey now, don't cry," he chided. "If you love someone enough, you'll find the courage to tell everyone about it." Jason gazed at him hopefully.

"You think so?" he asked softly. Nico nodded and wrapped his arms around the blonde, hugging him.

"I know so," he said with more conviction than he felt. He just hoped Jason didn't tell _him_ about that person if it wasn't Nico himself.

…

Jason was going to spend the night at Nico's apartment. That sounded just dandy to him. At least Nico's sister would be gone for the night. Before she left, she gave both boys The Talk, much to their embarrassment. Then she threatened to get her dad if anything bad happened, and she left as the threat hung heavy in the air.

Currently, both boys were laying side by side on the fold-out couch bed, watching old movies on Nico's small flat screen. They were laying so their shoulders were touching, and Jason smiled from time to time. Close contact with Nico was the best. Jason didn't bring any clothes with him, but he'd just took off his pants and was lounging around in his tank top and boxers. Surprisingly, Nico seemed fine with it. He was laying in his borrowed t-shirt from Jason, which still hung loosely on him. It looked more like a short dress than a t-shirt, but Nico refused to change out of it. Jason smiled and nuzzled his nose into the dark-haired boy's neck, causing him to giggle.

"Stop it Jay," Nico said, shoving him away playfully. Jason smiled and sat up, resting his back against the back of the couch and closing his eyes. Nico plopped his head onto the blonde's lap and curled up sideways, biting his thumb and watching the movie. Jason ran his fingers through the dark-haired boy's dark curls, and Nico gave a contented sigh. He glanced at the clock overhead and saw it was close to eleven. No doubt Nico would be getting tired soon. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Nico began to yawn.

"Tired?" Jason asked him, still toying with his dark curls. He loved twirling them around his finger and then pulling it through, tugging a little on the hair as he did so. It never hurt the smaller boy though.

"Mmmm," Nico said. Jason smiled and leaned down, pressing his lips to the smaller boy's ear.

"That really doesn't tell me anything silly," he whispered. Nico batted at him lightly.

"Yeah I'm tired," he replied. "I want to go to bed." He curled up on his side beside the blonde. Jason gazed down at him questioningly. "Lay with me?" Nico asked pleadingly. Smiling, Jason stretched out beside him, waiting as Nico got comfortable. He sort of did the position he was in last night, top half on Jason, bottom half on the mattress, and his head under the blonde's chin. Jason tugged the blanket up and tucked it around himself and Nico.

"Night Nico," he said as the dark-haired boy closed his eyes. "Sweet dreams." He hummed All of Me into the dark-haired boy's ear until he was snoring away softly. He kissed his forehead and stared at his ceiling, realizing once again that he had actually sung the song he'd been saving for the right one to the person whom he loved with all his being. Now, if he and Nico ever got married, they could dance to this song and remember the first time Jason ever sang it to him. The thought put a smile on the blonde's face, and it stayed there long after he was asleep.

…

Sorry this one was shorter. That seemed like a good place to stop.


	6. Chapter 5-I'm Crazy About You

Hmm lots of positive response to the last chapter. Yes, Nico is part of Jason's future. Of course he is. It wouldn't be a good Jasico without it.

I apologize for the long wait. This would've been up sooner, but we had a death in my family, and we've been pretty much focusing on that the last few days. If you haven't heard what happened, the basis is in Always Missed and The Perfect Distraction.

…

Nico blinked his eyes open and smiled at the blonde boy who was underneath him, then he grimaced uncomfortably. He wiggled in the blonde boy's arms, but he was stuck there. He began to wiggle in earnest, trying to pry Jason's arms from around him. But the blonde's grip around him tightened. Nico whimpered.

"Jason, wake up," he said, shaking his shoulder. He wiggled around, trying to break free. "Jason, wake up now. I need to go." But Jason didn't so much as stir. "Jason!" Nico about sobbed, pummeling him with his fists. "Wake up! Wake up!" He tried once again to pry the blonde's arms apart. "Damn you Jason, wake the fuck up!" That got the blonde up and moving. He bolted upright on the bed, glancing around quizzically.

"Hey," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Why am I up?" But Nico didn't hear him. He was busy bolting to the bathroom. "Oh," Jason said, flushing red when he realized what had happened. Nico could've had an accident if he didn't get the blonde up in time. Thankfully, something in his subconscious told him to wake up. Probably because Nico kept yelling at him to wake up. He leaned back against the couch, watching the bathroom door anxiously. Nico crept out and laid beside the blonde boy, staring up at him. "Did you make it?" he asked awkwardly. Nico chuckled.

"Yeah," he replied. "Thanks for finally waking up. You're a bitch to wake up when you don't want to." Jason flushed a deeper shade of red. "Aww now that's cute," Nico said with a laugh. "Well that's what I call an interesting start to our day." He stretched his arms above his head lazily, causing the shirt to actually rise up on him and expose his lithe body. Jason flushed once again and turned away. It's not like he was embarrassed to be staring at the dark-haired boy. It was more like he was embarrassed to be caught staring at an almost naked Nico. The dark-haired boy, for his part, frowned thoughtfully. He did that purposely, and Jason didn't so much as acknowledge his efforts. He yawned and plunked his head on Jason's lap, whimpering until he began to toy with his dark curls. Then he purred with pleasure.

"You're pretty cute yourself," Jason said, softly and awkwardly. Dammit, why was this hard now? He'd given Nico plenty of compliments before. It's not like he'd ever had to think about it. But now, in Nico's apartment with a half-naked, dark-haired boy at his beck and call, he felt like a flustered schoolgirl. Nico smiled at Jason's efforts to lighten the mood. It was a valiant effort, and an appreciated one. He reached up and lay his palm against the blonde's cheek, catching him off guard.

"Let's say we go do something," Nico said in a half-whine. "I'm bored doing nothing all day long." Jason cocked his head to the side thoughtfully.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, then growled in frustration when Nico simply gave a shrug of his shoulders. That definitely wasn't the answer he was searching for. He paused in his twirling of Nico's curls and thought deeply about it. New York had a lot to do, unless you lived there. In which case, you did basically the same things every day. "Have you ever ridden the carriages in Central Park?" he asked Nico absent-mindedly.

"Nope," Nico replied, turning pink. "Horses kind of scare me. They have since I was little." Jason chuckled and nuzzled Nico's neck. The dark-haired boy squealed with laughter. "Jay, stop!" he said, shoving him away.

"Maybe we ought to go do that," he said, and he felt Nico tense. He rubbed the dark-haired boy's shoulders until he relaxed. "I'll be right there with you. Nothing's gonna hurt you."

If Jason realized then how wrong he'd be, he would've gladly punched himself in the face. Repeatedly.

…

It took the boys half an hour to get ready for their little…not a real date…in the park. Nico let Jason shower, and then moved next door to retrieve his father's close. They hung loose on Jason (a real surprise) but when he stuffed the shirt into the waistline of his borrowed jeans, they fit a little better. It was a long sleeved shirt, so Jason rolled the sleeves up. Nico wore another tank top and Jason's sweater, with light jeans to bring the dark of the sweater out. He kept the sleeves down, and Jason thought he looked adorable with the sleeves ending past his hands.

Nico's apartment wasn't too far from Central Park, so they just walked. It was a nice day for it. The boys walked shoulder to shoulder, occasionally pointing something out for the other to see. Halfway through, on an impulse, Jason snatched at Nico's hand, securing it in his own. Nico jumped, but then he smiled at the blonde, and they finished their walk hand in hand. Jason marveled at the soft feel of Nico's hand in his, and how natural it felt. He applied just enough pressure to keep Nico's hand in his, but not enough to completely crush the smaller boy's hand. Nico did likewise. It's like they both instantly knew what to do. All that, though, was shattered when they got to Central Park. Now, it wasn't known as a local teen hangout, so Jason didn't figure they'd run into their schoolmates there. But, when they arrived, he found Percy, Leo, Will, Jake, and Frank all crowded around the hot dog stand, each placing an order. Jason yanked his hand back like Nico's hand was on fire, and Nico frowned at him. Percy happened to see him first, either making the whole situation better or worse.

"Jason!" he called cheerfully, flagging the blonde down with one hand while reaching for his hot dog with the other. All five boys turned to stare at the approaching couple. A wolfish grin spread across Will's features as he took a bite of his hot dog, making the action look a lot worse than it actually was. Nico shrunk against Jason, shaking slightly at the sight of his tormentors. Jason nudged him quickly and gave him a brief nod. _It's alright_, he seemed to say. _They won't hurt you with me around_.

"What's up Perce?" he asked, approaching the group slowly, Nico trailing behind him. He gave Percy a fist bump, as they did every time they saw each other outside of school. Percy brandished his half-eaten hot dog and smiled at the duo. Nico gave him a hesitant smile back. Percy wasn't actually out to hurt him. Percy had the same moral upbringing as Jason. He didn't be mean to anyone. It just wasn't in his nature. Will was another story all together. He approached Jason and Nico, circling them much like a wolf circles its prey.

"So nice to see you here," he droned, his tone suggesting it was anything but. Instantly, Jason circled an arm around Nico, shielding him. "Aww that's so sweet!" Will mocked. "You're protecting your little boyfriend." Jason bristled.

"He isn't my boyfriend!" he cried, throwing himself at Will and sending him sprawling. Almost immediately, he was on top of the other blonde boy, raining blow after blow at his arms and chest, keeping him down. "He isn't my boyfriend. I don't want him to be my boyfriend. I'm not gay!" The words flowed out like water free of obstacles. The other boys stood frozen and watched in silent fascination. "I'm not gay!" Jason roared, delivering the final blow, a right hook into the side of Will's head. The other boy's eyes glazed for a second and he stared in a daze and Jason hauled himself upright, staggering away from the small crowd. He retched into the grass by the sidewalk and Percy gave a low chuckle. He turned towards the sound and Percy slowly applauded.

"About time someone gave him a good ass whooping," he said mildly, pulling the other blonde boy's eyelids apart and peering at his eyes. "He was a trifle annoying if I do say so myself. I was close to punching him." Leo and Jake chuckled along with him while Frank peered closely at Jason. Before now, everyone knew him as the laid-back, happy-go-lucky jock that didn't seem all that tough but no one wanted to piss off anyway. Now, they had a sort of grudging respect for him. He finally stood his own. But the fact made the blonde sick to his stomach. He never got into fights. It wasn't his way. He collapsed into the grass a few feet away from everyone, sides heaving. Nico squatted over him, traces of tears in his eyes.

"You aren't gay huh?" he asked quietly. "Don't want me to be your boyfriend huh?" Every word the dark-haired boy said cracked worse than any whip. "You have a very funny way of showing your feelings Jason Grace. Call me when you finally figure out what the fuck you want." Nico then ran lightly away, practically flying over the cement.

"Nico!" Jason called, instantly on his feet and swaying from side to side while he regained both his breath and his stomach. He stood still for a second, then pounded after the dark-haired boy. "Nico, wait!" he cried desperately. He almost caught him when Nico darted across the street between lights, forcing the blonde to stop to wait for traffic. He whipped his cell phone out while he waited and dialed his mom's number. "Mommy!" he cried into the phone. "I did something terrible to Nico! I have to get to his house!" He lowered his voice as tears spilled down his cheeks. "Can you come pick me up mommy?" After saying she would, Jason hung up and let his shoulders drop, staring at the now blurry ground. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he gazed back in surprise at Percy.

"Are you okay?" his friend asked, worry laced with curiosity in his voice. Jason shook his head dejectedly. This had to be the worst blow yet. "Jay, answer me honestly. I want you to be one hundred percent honest with me. You know I won't tell the others." Jason nodded slowly, gazing steadily at his friend, who stared steadily back. "Are you gay? Because you certainly acted like it chasing Nico down. And for a follow-up question; do you like Nico in that more-than-friends way?" Jason sighed and closed his eyes. This is what he'd been dreading from the start.

"Yes Percy," he said softly. "I am. I found out freshman year, and I've done a damn good job keeping it a secret until now. As for Nico, I don't just like him, I'm head over heels in love with him. He invades my thoughts and my dreams. He makes me happy just by walking into a room. I've never felt this way before Perce, about a guy or a girl." Now that he'd said that out loud, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulder for two reasons. One, he finally admitted his real feelings for Nico. Two, now someone else he trusted completely knew about him, and he didn't have to hide it around Percy anymore. The brunette grinned at the blonde and clapped him on the back.

"Well, then you just massively screwed up," he said cheerfully. "But that's okay, because I know you'll make it right again. You care about Nico too much to let him keep hurting." Jason's mom came then to pick him up and take him to Nico's house. Jason wrapped his arms around Percy.

"Thanks for listening," he said softly. "You're a great friend." Percy seemed unfazed by the hug (unlike some people). He even squeezed the blonde boy back.

"No problem," he replied just as softly. "Don't worry; you're secret's safe with me. Now go get your Nico back."

…

"Nico, open up!" Jason hollered, pounding on the apartment door. "Nico, let me explain, please!" But nothing happened. Jason's mom, standing a few feet back, frowned at her heartbroken son. He really fancied this boy, and right now Nico didn't want to talk to him. Jason's shouldered dropped and he plodded back to his mom. "He won't answer mommy," he said in a small, broken voice. "I've tried mommy. He just won't answer." Squaring her jaw, she marched right up to Nico's door and rapped roughly on it.

"Nico, this is Jason's mother," she called crisply. "Open up." After a moment, the door swung open and Nico appeared, Jason's sweater dragging behind him like a baby blanket. He held it by one sleeve, and in the other hand he was fingering the hem of Jason's purple shirt. She smiled sadly at him. Nico looked worse for wear. "Hello Nico," she said softly, and he sniffed. "Someone wants to speak to you." She moved aside and Jason took her place. Without a word, Jason wrapped his arms around the dark-haired boy and squeezed until Nico couldn't breathe. Then he planted a gigantic kiss on the dark-haired boy's lips, stunning him to silence.

"I am so, so sorry," Jason said. "I didn't mean any of that. I am gay, rest assured. I do want you to be my boyfriend. I want it more than anything in the world. I…" He paused. It seemed too soon to say _I love you_ so he settled for the next best thing. "I am crazy about you Nico." Nico finally spoke.

"About damn time Grace," he said with a laugh, stunning the blonde in turn. "I was wondering when you'd say that." Jason laughed and kissed him again.

"You know, I was wondering the same thing myself," he replied good-naturedly. "Just remember though, I may say things I don't mean, but at the end of the day, I'm wild about you." He spun the smaller boy around, causing him to giggle.

"Yeah, me too," he said with a dazzling smile. "Can't wait for school tomorrow. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Don't worry." He rested his head on the blonde's shoulder. "We won't tell people until you're good and ready." Jason smiled down at him.

"I'm telling Percy," the blonde replied automatically, and Nico's eyebrows shot up. "He guessed my feelings about you and I willingly told him. It felt great to finally admit it to someone I trust completely. Besides, Percy will keep my secret safe. I can't wait to tell him though!" Jason practically bounced from foot to foot. Now that someone knew, and now that Nico was more or less his, he couldn't wait to tell the world. Nico threw back his head and laughed. "Hey," Jason said suddenly, pulling his phone out. "Say cheese."

"Oh please," Nico said, shielding his face. "I look hideous. I bet my eyes are red from crying." Jason snapped a picture of him anyway and gathered him in his arms, pressing his lips to the smaller boy's ear.

"Yet you still look beautiful to me," he whispered. "No matter what, you always will." Nico blushed and turned away and Jason kissed his temple. "Remember the song," he said softly. "'All of me, loves all of you.'" Nico smiled up at him and wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck.

"I remember," Nico replied. "I can't wait to hear that at our wedding." Jason laughed.

"Slow your roll there," he said, and Nico stuck his lip out in a pout. "Let's get to know each other a bit more first." Nico beamed at him and pulled the sweater closer to him. In all the fuss, Jason had totally forgotten about it. Now he smiled. It seemed to be a sort of security blanket now. "Maybe you can spend the night tonight?" he added, glancing over his shoulder. His mom shrugged.

"I don't see why not," she said, and Jason cheered.

…

Alright that was long overdue. Now the story will take a different turn. Hope you all liked it!


	7. Chapter 6-I've Always Got Your Back

I managed to go a full day without crying! That won't last long. Kuper's death is still fresh. BUT it's all part of the healing process. There's gonna be up days, and down days.

Enough of that. Who's ready to see the boys go back to school? And who's ready for Percy to play a bigger part in this story. I didn't want Percy to be the bully. He's not that kind of guy, and I would hate to write him as such. It just doesn't feel right.

…

Jason's mom dropped them off at school the next day, much to their relief. They were ready for a little break from boredom, and while school wasn't ideal, it did provide a six hour distraction. Jason trailed Nico like a lost puppy. Or a protective boyfriend, he liked to tell himself. He kept his eyes on him. He was once again amazed by Nico's intelligence. He peeked in on the dark-haired boy's English class on the way to the office and stood, spellbound, as Nico read one of his stories out loud. It was captivating. The smaller boy had a natural way with words and the way they flowed together. Once he finished, there was wild applause for him, and he flushed with pleasure. Jason smiled. This is where Nico shined.

"Hey." Jason nearly hit the ceiling when a voice behind him spoke. He whirled around and found himself face and face with Percy, who was grinning at him. "Nico's quite the little writer," Percy commented lightly. "Also, since when do you jump when someone sneaks up behind you?" Jason glared at him for a second.

"Ever since I didn't expect it to happen," he retorted, then he thought better and lowered his voice. "Also since that fight with Will. I feel like he's going to do something behind my back." Percy nodded. While he didn't necessarily approve of the fight between the two blonde boys, he would side with Jason any day. Besides, Will had it coming. As Percy helpfully pointed out, he was getting a trifle annoying. He was ready to deck the blonde boy himself, Jason just beat him to the punch, so to speak. "Percy!" Jason hissed, snapping his fingers under the brunette's nose. Percy blinked and shook his head. "You will never guess what happened!" The brunette wrinkled his nose in amusement as the blonde practically bounced from foot to foot. "Come on." The blonde dragged him away from the door, away from prying ears.

"Okay, what?" Percy asked, taking back possession of his arm. Not that he minded being dragged away by the blonde boy. He just wanted him to get to the point faster. Jason grinned at him and Percy felt a surge of affection for his friend. Jason had gone through some rough times, trying to keep himself closeted. Now that the brunette knew, the blonde's erratic behavior made sense. He was doing his best to keep people from figuring out.

"I kissed Nico!" Jason squeaked out, twirling in a neat little circle. Percy chuckled. "After he went back to his apartment." He paused. "I won't tell you the rest though. We deserve to have some privacy after all." Percy stuck his lip out in a pout and hung off the blonde's arm.

"Why not?" he whined. "I want details." Jason chuckled, amused. But he shook his head. He wasn't ready to fork over all the details of last night. Once they got to the blonde's apartment, they'd had dinner and curled up on the couch together to watch scary movies. Nico never told Jason they weren't his favorite things to watch, and he jumped during almost every one and buried his face in Jason's side. Jason acted surprised every time he did it, but he was secretly glad for the close contact. Finally, at midnight, they went into the blonde's bedroom for bed. Nico completely bypassed his homemade bed and crawled in with the blonde, curling against the curve of Jason's body. Once again, he was a perfect fit. Jason tucked him in then gave him a goodnight kiss, holding him until he fell asleep.

"It was fun," he supplied with an evil grin. Percy pouted some more, but finally disengaged himself from the blonde. Jason would tell him when he was good and ready, the brunette knew, and not a moment sooner. Jason had just recently outed himself to the brunette, and he felt honored with just that much information.

"Ready for our wacky extra gym today?" Percy asked. Every other Monday, they had an extra gym class at the end of the day instead of a study period. Nico would be with them during this one too. The blonde's face fell and he scrubbed at his eyes.

"Fuck," he swore softly. "I totally forgot about that. I hope Nico will be okay while I grab my stuff." He jogged lightly down the hall toward his locker at the back of the school. But he got Percy thinking. The brunette kept his stuff in his sports locker, so he was ready to go already. He made his way down to the gym, catching Nico as he was going in. He fell in step beside the dark-haired boy, who glanced at him curiously. Suddenly, everyone was interested in either beating him or being his friend. He wasn't entirely sure of the brunette's motives. He seemed to be a darker version of Jason, rather sweet when you thought about it, yet he could hold his own if the time came. He also had Jason's easy way with people. Nico watched him as he interacted with his classmates. He knew most of them by name, and he shook hands and laughed with all of them. Jason had that easy popularity too.

"Nico," Percy said, causing the dark-haired boy to tense. "Are you coming out today? We're playing tennis, and Jason still needs a partner." He winked at the dark-haired boy, who managed a faint smile. "I'm sure Jason would love to have you as a partner," Percy continued without missing a beat, causing curious and shocked looks from the assembled boys, most notably, Will. "Oh, Jason will most definitely love to have you. If he didn't already lay claim to you in the hallway, I'd snatch you up myself. But, I don't do that kind of thing." He eyed Will with that one. "It's not nice to pick someone somebody else already has." Will flushed angrily and looked away. Nico stood in stunned silence, clutching his drawstring bag of clothes to his chest. "I guess I'll take Frank." The big boy grunted and nodded. He knew exactly what Percy was doing. He clapped the smaller-than-him boy on the back, causing him to stagger.

"Nice work Jackson," he said, and they both watched as a few boys flocked around Nico, asking how he managed to capture Jason's interest in being tennis partners. Nico beamed at the attention and changed without shying away. Percy grinned. That within itself was a huge step forward for the smaller boy. Jason entered then, looking surprised as a few of the other boys chatted easily with Nico, laughing with him as he changed, clapping him on the back and steering him out the locker room door. He cast a gaze over his shoulder at the blonde and shot him a dazzling smile.

"What did you do Jackson?" Jason whispered. "Nico looks…happy." Percy beamed at him.

"Oh, I'm just making fun of you," he said, slinging an arm over the blonde's shoulder. Jason glared at him and he rolled his eyes. The blonde couldn't take a joke apparently. "I went on and on about how much you wanted him to be your tennis partner today. I knew you wouldn't object to that if anyone asked you, and I had a feeling you really did anyway, so I just beat you to the punch. Now everyone wants to know how he managed to do it, because you don't take partners, other than me, easily." Jason shook his head in wonderment.

"Glad you're on my side," he said, changing quickly. "You'd be a tough adversary if that wasn't the case. Percy just grinned at him.

"I wouldn't side with Will if you paid me," he said seriously. "It's not in my nature to be mean to people on purpose. Same as yours. Our mothers definitely raised us right. There's too many idiots in the world as it is. Now come on, our little celebrity is probably wondering where you've gone."

…

Nico proved to actually be good at tennis, much to everyone's surprise. They crowded around to watch the game between Jason and Nico, and Percy and Frank. The big boy was powerful, but he was clumsy and rarely got ahold of the ball. Nico, on the other hand, was small and agile. He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, alert and ready. When the ball came toward him, he sprang to action and delivered the ball back to Percy and Frank, usually causing them to lunge after it and lose their balance so it bounced harmlessly away. Jason and Nico actually won.

"Wow," Percy said, taking a running start and vaulting over the net separating the two groups. Frank choose to circle around. "You're pretty good with that racket there, Nico." Nico gazed down at the school equipment, running his fingers lovingly over it. "You should go out for the tennis team this spring. I'm sure Jason would love to watch you play for our school team." He shot the blonde a look, who readily agreed.

"Absolutely," he said. "I didn't know you liked tennis Nico." The dark-haired boy shrugged.

"Never played before," he admitted. "It was never my cup of tea. Now, I think I'll actually take your advice. Playing for a school team has appeal." He grinned at the two boys. "I'm good at a sport!" He threw himself at Jason. The blonde circled his arms around him and buried his nose in his hair.

"You really are baby," he whispered to Nico's hair. "You are." He started when he realized he'd used a pet name, but then he shrugged. He'd call Nico baby if he damn well felt he could. Nico beamed up at him, obviously hearing the pet name too. "I'll go to your tennis meets, and you'll come to my track meets. Mine and Percy's." He turned to look at the brunette, who was busy ushering everyone back inside the school. Some were trying to look back over his shoulders, but he barked orders at them and they sheepishly followed the rest of the crowd. Jason smiled gratefully. Now no one would ruin the moment he and Nico were having.

"Of course I'll come," Nico murmured. "Wild horses couldn't drag me away." Jason chuckled lowly, captured Nico's face in his cupped hands, and kissed him.

"I knew it!" Jason sprang away from Nico and looked around wildly. Will finally stepped out from behind the group of trees he'd been crouched behind. Now he was glaring between the two boys. Jason clenched his hands at his sides. Nico shrunk back behind him, snatching at his shirt. Jason glanced quickly over his shoulder to make sure the smaller boy was alright, then he turned back to Will, who was circling them both. "I knew you were gay," he accused, pointing a finger at Jason. "And you." Before Jason could even think to act, he had Nico out by the collar of his shirt. Nico thrashed but Will quickly held him on place by twisting his arm back and around behind him, causing Nico to scream.

"Let him go!" Jason demanded. "Damn you Will, let him go!" Will sneered and pressed Nico's arm against his back, once again making him scream. Jason winced. He could practically feel the pain in his own shoulder as it twisted in a way it was never supposed to. But he smartly kept his mouth shut. HE figured the more he said, the worse the pain would become for Nico.

"Ah William." Will turned and found himself being lifted off the ground. He let go of Nico's shirt and was tossed aside like a sack of flour. Percy knelt beside Nico, who'd sunk to the ground, rubbing his aching shoulder. "I told you to play nice William," Percy said calmly, rising. Jason took his place, pulling the dark-haired boy onto his lap and letting him bury his face in his shirt. "I wonder what Principal Blofis would have to say about this." He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "You definitely wouldn't be allowed to go out for any sports. Maybe you'll get suspended. Or." He thrust his face right into Will's, causing the blonde boy to stumble back a pace. "Maybe he won't hear about this anymore if you just butt out of their business. Jason wasn't ready to tell you, for obvious reasons. If I so much as hear a lick about his sexual preferences from one of the other boys, I will hunt you down and beat you black and blue, understand?"

"Yes!" Will squeaked, scampering off before Percy could do anything else. Percy knelt down beside the two boys, checking to make sure each was okay after their encounter with Will.

"Thanks Percy," Jason said gratefully. "But if you did happen to tell Principal Blofis, could you get him to believe you?" Percy nodded.

"If he doesn't listen to me that's a problem," he said. "After all, he is my stepdad." Jason's eyes widened.

"When did that happen?" he asked. Nico finally looked up at the two of them. Now that they were side by side, they really did look alike. Percy was darker, obviously, but they had the same body language and they expressed the same emotions. They could practically be twins. Percy chuckled.

"Last year," he replied. "Mom took a fancy to him freshman year, and last year they got married. I'm sure if I told him about William there, he wouldn't be bothering you guys anymore." He winked at Nico. "I've always got your back." Nico smiled hesitantly at him. "But, I won't tell him yet. I have a feeling that'll just give you guys more attention than you may want." He pressed his lips to the blonde's ear. "And you might have to out yourself to explain everything." Jason shuddered. He'd rather avoid that at all costs.

"I think we'll be fine," he said, glancing down at Nico. "Won't we baby?" Percy's lips twitched up into a smile. Now that Jason was comfortable with being outed around Percy, he was ready to use the pet name around him too. Nico fingered Jason's shirt and nodded. "Are you outed?" Jason asked him, just because he could. Nico shook his head. He was closeted for a reason. If people made fun of him simply for his lack of athletic ability, imagine what they'd do if they found out he was gay and liked Jason. Loved, he amended in his head. That he loved Jason.

"No," he said, keeping that little thought to himself. "I'm not outed. I'm not in a hurry to either. At my old school I was. Everyone was accepting. Here it seems to be a different story." Jason frowned. So did Percy. They then exchanged a look. The prided themselves in their school, but perhaps Nico had a point. Before this year, Jason hadn't had a problem with keeping himself closeted, so there was no real need for secrecy. So he was always proud to be a part of his school, the best of the best. Now, it seemed that his school lacked in the one place it needed to be the best. Support. Character. Respect. A whole lot more that he could probably list off but didn't want to. Percy rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I might just have to agree with you on that one Neeks," the brunette finally replied, standing and stretching. He then rubbed the small of his back. "Geez, seems like the longer I do that, the worse I feel." At that point, he was almost talking to himself. Jason rose, setting Nico down on his own two feet. The dark-haired boy moved his shoulder experimentally, finding it to be better. Jason lay his hand on the smaller boy's back. Nico actually led the way back inside, much to both of their surprise. Percy had to jog to keep up with the blonde and the dark-haired boy. But he grinned wildly at them. "That's the spirit!" he cheered, throwing his hands up dramatically. Nico rolled his eyes.

"Puh-lease Jackson," he scoffed playfully. "You wouldn't make that look cool if we slicked your messy hair back and gave you cooler clothes." Jason howled with laughter while Percy pouted at the dark-haired boy.

"That's insulting di Angelo," he replied. "I am definitely cool." Right that exact moment, he tripped over someone's discarded shoes. He went sprawling, unhurt but thoroughly embarrassed. Nico gazed down at him, amusement glinting in his eyes.

"Yep, you are one cool dude Jackson," he said sarcastically, then shrieked with laughter as Percy went to chasing him around the locker room. Jason sat down on the bench to watch them for awhile. Percy had an easy friendship with the smaller boy. Nico had managed to come out of his shell around the brunette, and for that Jason was thankful. "Help me Jason!" Nico shrieked, crawling onto the blonde's lap. Jason's arms went around him and Percy stopped dead in his tracks and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"When you call on the boyfriend, it's time to call it quits," Percy said. "I would be in serious trouble if you both came after me." He laughed and plopped down next to them, removing his shirt and slipping on his other one. Nico did likewise, and Percy cocked his head to the side. "Is that Jason's shirt?" he asked. Nico nodded and gazed down at the shirt he'd managed to snag for the day. It was maroon, with gold writing scrawled across the front. He couldn't make out exactly what it said, but he grabbed it because he liked the color combination. Of course, Jason protested lightly, saying Nico was going to steal all his clothing, but he didn't argue long. He honestly didn't mind Nico taking his stuff. It made their relationship seem more real. Jason slipped on his blue and green polo. Nico said it made his light blue eyes pop, and Jason took it as a good thing. "Ugh," Percy complained, draping himself over Jason's shoulder. "I don't know what to do after school today. It is the end of the day after all."

"I know silly," Jason said, shoving him off. "I don't know what to do either. I know we have a swim meet tomorrow. We should probably attend practice." Percy wrinkled his nose. "That's what I thought too," the blonde replied to his reaction. "I was thinking of catching a movie. I'm just not sure what I want to see."

"Let's got see Spiderman!" Nico said, turning his dark, pleading eyes on Jason. "Pretty please?" Jason turned an amused gaze to Percy.

"And how can I say no to that?" he asked him, and Nico nuzzled his neck. "Alright baby, that tickles," he said, smiling down at him. "Want Percy to come too?" Nico nodded. So it looked like they were going to see the second installment of Spiderman that night. Jason was fine with that. In the dark of the movie theater, he could hold Nico's hand and steal kisses from him.

…

Well that was fun. Next chapter will be the three boys at the movies. That should go well. We all know how I operate though, so it won't be all that smooth sailing.


	8. Chapter 7-Annabeth Knows and Rain Kisses

Alright so I've rapidly updated Not Your Typical High School Romance, which I've slacked on for awhile. But now I've gotten three new chapters for it up, so I'm going to leave it alone for a bit and update this one. Who's ready for the date that may or may not go as planned!

…

Jason got his mom's permission to pick Nico up in her car, as long as he was careful. The blonde was ecstatic about it. He and Nico were more or less going on a date, with Percy as a third wheel. Jason chuckled as he thought about how many times he tagged along with Percy and Annabeth. Even then, Percy tried to include the blonde in everything they did, sometimes sitting beside him in the booths at the restaurants, or engaging him in conversations before the movies. But now it would be reversed. And the best part about it was he wouldn't be offended if the blonde sat beside Nico everywhere they went. Percy was just that way. He let whatever happen, happen as it would if it were only two people.

Jason smiled as he slid into place in front of Nico's apartment. He noticed the dark-haired boy leaning against the rail of the stairs, nose buried in his book. He rolled the passenger window down and leaned over the seat.

"Nico!" he called. The dark-haired boy's head snapped up and he smiled, setting the book aside. He called something into the building, then he snatched up the book and slid into the passenger seat. The blonde boy leaned over and pecked his cheek, smiling at him. Suddenly, Hazel's head appeared between them.

"Hi boy," she said to Jason, and he recoiled and blinked in surprise. He was certain she hadn't been there before. "Oh this'll be fun," Hazel continued, settling back in the seat and buckling herself in. Jason shot Nico a look, and Nico shook his head. _You'll see_, he mouthed. Jason had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. This couldn't be a very good omen. He threw the car into drive and maneuvered his way through the crowded streets, occasionally glancing at Nico, who'd grown quiet. He kept his hands folded on his lap, twining and untwining his fingers together. Jason let go of the wheel with his right hand and gently laid it across Nico's folded ones, watching out of the corner of his eye. Nico smiled down at Jason's hand, then wrapped his fingers around Jason's. They sat with their fingers intertwined until Jason pulled up in front of Percy's apartment. When Percy and Annabeth climbed in, Jason was quick to release Nico's fingers.

"Hey Jason," Percy said, casting glances at Annabeth and Hazel. "Hey Nico. Hi Hazel." Percy and Annabeth got themselves strapped in while Jason gazed over his shoulder at the two girls. "Er, I hope you don't mind Jay, but Annabeth wanted to come with me, and then she invited Hazel." Jason eyed the two girls and then sighed.

"No," he said. "No, of course I don't mind." But inside he was screaming. This isn't wasn't how he imagined this night to turn out at all. But sometimes you just had to deal with the cards you were dealt. With luck, he and Nico could still sit beside each other at the movie theater. Jason locked eyes with Percy in the rearview mirror, and he noticed the hint of sympathy in his friend's sea-green eyes. He nodded once and focused back on the road. Nico was staring out the window and sulking. Obviously, this wasn't what he had planned either. Jason wanted so bad to reach out and touch him, but he held himself back. Annabeth didn't know about either of them yet, and he didn't want to give her any ideas.

Jason slid into place in front of the movie theater and climbed out, swinging doors open as he circled around the car. There was a chorus of thank yous from his friend as they led the way up. Percy slipped his arm around Annabeth's waist, and Nico gazed at them wistfully. Jason's heart ached. He knew Nico wanted that so bad, yet he had to hide who he was. Jason could relate after all. He rested his hand on the dark-haired boy's back briefly, and the dark-haired boy shot him a little smile. The blonde paid for both their tickets, and then they stood with their friends in the lobby while they debated what to do.

"Let's get the snacks first," Hazel said. "Then we can find seats." No one had any objections, so they joined the already long refreshments line. While they waited, they engaged in light conversation. Percy wrapped his arms around Annabeth from behind and rested his chin on her head, which she giggled at. Yes, Annabeth actually giggled. Once again, Nico stared at them a little wistfully. Percy and Annabeth got popcorn and soda, Hazel get Reece's. Finally, it was Jason and Nico's turn.

"Can we get popcorn and candy?" Nico questioned, and Jason chuckled lowly. He told the lady a large popcorn (so they could share with Hazel if she wanted some), and then Nico got M&Ms. Jason got Spree chewy candy. Now that they had snacks, they could go into the actual theater. Percy led the way, keeping Annabeth and Hazel's attention on him. Jason was grateful, not for the first time, for his friend. Quickly, outside the curtains after his friends had disappeared, he pinned Nico to the wall and kissed him. Nico tensed, but then relaxed, kissing him back.

"Jay? Neeks?" Both of them pulled away from each other when Percy stuck his head back out of the curtains. "Ah, there you two are. Got your kiss in I see." The blonde and the dark-haired boy shared a bewildered look. They weren't sure how Percy knew that. "The girls request your presence. Hazel was about to hunt you down herself, but I convinced her I'd be able to find you faster than she would." Jason nodded and took Nico's elbow, leading him into the semi-dark of the theater. They quickly spotted Annabeth and Hazel, all the way up front. Percy settled down beside Annabeth. Jason took the seat on the other side of Percy, and Nico sat beside him. Jason smiled at him and relinquished control of the popcorn bucket as Nico dipped his hand in. He turned to talk to Percy and Annabeth, but they were deep in their own conversation, so he turned back to Nico.

"Are you excited for the movie?" the blonde asked, plunging his own hand into the popcorn. He came up with a handful, which he proceeded to eat one piece at a time. Nico kept his gaze fixed on the big screen before them, but the blonde noticed his lips twitching at the corners. That meant he was trying not to smile, or laugh, he added mentally. He reached in for more popcorn, and his fingers brushed against Nico's. The two boys stared at each other for the longest time. Jason glanced over his shoulder. Annabeth was deep in conversation with Hazel, and Percy was slouched in his seat, eyes closed. Perfect. He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Nico's lips.

"That's nice," Nico said when the blonde drew away. He glanced around. "And no one noticed." The screen went blank for a second, causing all chatter to come to a halt as the movie-goers settled comfortably in their seats. Percy blinked his sea-green eyes open and sat up in his seat, twining his fingers with Annabeth's. Jason glanced at them briefly, then captured Nico's hand in his, setting their combined hands on the arm rest between them. They stayed that way the whole movie.

…

"Oh my god that was incredible!" Annabeth gushed. "Though the old Peter Parker looked better." Percy made a face and popped a fry into his mouth. Nico slurped happily on a chocolate milk shake and Hazel shook her head at him. All five teens were at the diner next door the movie theater. As if they hadn't consumed enough food to feed a small village. But Percy and Jason were famished, so they all relocated the tiny party to the diner. Percy and Jason got hamburgers and fries. After some consideration, Annabeth and Hazel got orders of fries for themselves. And Nico happily ordered his milk shake. They were currently crowded into one both, with Annabeth, Percy, and Hazel on one side, and Jason and Nico on the other. Nico looked content with the arrangement, though Hazel kept glancing at them thoughtfully.

"Please don't tell us how cute the old Peter Parker was," Jason said, dipping one of his fries in Nico's milk shake and taking a bite. Nico pulled it back and glared at him, but he just grinned. "Besides, I don't think your boyfriend likes to hear you gush about other men." Percy turned a glare on him, and he stared innocently at Percy. "Yes mama?" he asked. Percy laughed.

"Oh, nothing dearie," he replied. Hazel snorted into her fries, and Annabeth looked back and forth between the two boys in confusion. Only Nico managed to keep a straight face. But only just. You'd have to really study him to see the smile under the surface. Truthfully, this was the first time he felt like he fit in, and he was enjoying every minute of it. Jason leaned over and whispered something in the dark-haired boy's ear, which he laughed at. "Hey ladies, let's say we go play some arcade games," Percy said quickly, pulling Annabeth out of the booth after him. The blonde girl cast glances over her shoulder at the two boys left in the booth, but she followed her boyfriend all the same. Hazel trailed behind the two of them. Jason found himself thinking how lucky was to have Percy as an ally rather than an adversary. He'd be a worthy opponent, but the blonde really didn't want to start a quarrel with him. Percy had been his best friend for years.

"Is it just me," Nico commented lightly. "Or is he doing everything in his power to make sure that we have some alone time?" Jason turned a pained look on the dark-haired boy, he went back to slurping his milk shake like he hadn't said anything at all. Jason glanced at the chocolate drink with distaste. He was happy Nico was finally eating something, but he could've picked something a little more filling, and less sweet-tasting. He sliced his untouched burger in half and offered half to the dark-haired boy. Nico shook his head. "No thank you," he said.

"Nico, you need to eat something. You always pick at your food," the blonde replied, taking a fry off his plate. "Have this if you don't want the burger then." He set the burger in front of Nico's spot at the table anyway, on the off chance he'd want it later. Nico rolled his eyes and went to reach for the fry, but the blonde pulled it away. "Nope," he said. Nico looked at him quizzically, and he grinned. "Open," he ordered, and Nico obliged. He popped the fry into the dark-haired boy's mouth, and his eyes glinted in amusement as he ate. The blonde grinned as he scooped up another fry. And so it went. Jason slowly fed Nico French fries, and then he even got him to eat part of the burger. Nico giggled and leaned against the blonde as he ate, sharing his milk shake with the blonde in addition. Jason laughed and kissed the top of the dark-haired boy's head.

"Um." Jason twisted and found Annabeth standing awkwardly at the end of the table. Percy came running from around the corner, Hazel hot on his heels. "So…you and Nico?" Annabeth ventured. Percy swept her off her feet and twirled her around.

"Now baby, why'd you go running off?" he asked her, casting anxious glances at the two boys in the booth, who'd put as much distance between them as possible. "I told you to wait while I got quarters. Why'd you have to go and do a silly thing like that?" Annabeth gave him a hard look.

"Don't try and deny something isn't happening," she said sharply, looking at Jason and Nico, who were busy trying to look anywhere but at each other. This definitely wasn't how the blonde thought his first date with Nico would go. Granted, he wasn't sure he could call it a date, but still. "Percy, I'm your girlfriend," Annabeth said to the brunette in desperation. "You shouldn't hide things from me. Especially if it's about our friends." Nico glanced up quickly at that, but still said nothing. Percy scrubbed at his eyes.

"I really wish you hadn't played the girlfriend card on me," he mumbled into his hands, glancing at her. Her intense gray eyes bore into him, and he groaned. "Jay," he said, swinging his gaze to the blonde boy. "I'm going to tell her. She is my girlfriend after all. She won't tell anyone if I ask her not to. Besides, her best friend already knows, don't you Hazel?" The dark-haired girl gave a short nod and crossed her arms over her chest. "Annabeth…" Percy began, but the blonde girl held up her hand.

"I bet I can guess," she told him, sliding into the booth across from Jason and Nico. "Jason, why didn't you tell me your gay yourself? I'm not judging; I'm just curious." Jason gave a tiny shrug of his shoulders, and he felt Nico's hand in his. Despite how anxious the blonde boy was, he couldn't help but smile a little at Nico's attempt to reassure him. "See, that's cute," Annabeth continued quietly. "I haven't seen you that happy in a long time Jay. Completely anyway." The blonde boy's breath caught in his throat and he had to turn away. "Answer me this Jay, how many people know?"

"Only a few," the blonde boy replied, squeezing Nico's hand. Nico squeezed back, and when the blonde finally looked at him, he was smiling and nodding at Annabeth, who was waiting patiently for the rest of the answer. Jason leaned across the booth and softly kissed the dark-haired boy before turning back to Annabeth. She was grinning at them both, and Jason couldn't help but relaxing a little. "So, the people that know are you, Percy, Hazel, and…and Will." Annabeth tilted her head thoughtfully to the side.

"I wonder what exactly that slime ball has in mind," she said, almost to herself. "Will is a twisted, little creature. He's got something in mind." Jason's blue eyes widened.

"You mean he won't leave me alone?" he asked in that small voice he got when he was scared. "He might still tell people about me?" Percy's sea-green eyes softened as he squeezed the blonde's shoulder.

"I'll alert Paul," he said. "We'll stop the ball rolling before Will has time to toss it. We won't let anything happen to you, Jay. Not if you aren't ready to let anything happen. Nico either," he added, turning to the dark-haired boy. "I swear to you both, I will do everything I can so you won't have to out yourselves yet. Now," the brunette said, straightening. "It's getting mighty late, and we have school tomorrow. Let's all go home."

…

"Do you have to go?" Nico asked Jason softly. The blonde was aware of his friends in the car, watching the two boys talking on the sidewalk. While they were in the diner, it had started raining. So both boys were soaked to the skin, but they didn't care. "Can't you take the other's home and spend the night again?" Nico asked hopefully, glancing up at his apartment, where Hazel was currently getting ready for bed. Jason chuckled lowly and took both of Nico's hands in his own.

"I would love to," he admitted. "But my mom wants me home tonight. I'm sorry baby," he added when Nico's face fell. "Hey." He brushed his fingers under Nico's chin and lifted his head until they were face to face. Jason then brushed his lips against Nico's, wiping a stray strand of his dark hair away. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Nico nodded sadly, and Jason pulled him to himself, shivering as he felt Nico's cold, wet clothing press against his skin. He kissed Nico again, this time for urgently. Nico twined his fingers behind Jason's neck and more or less pulled him closer, kissing him back. They stayed that way for a few seconds, almost one body, until Jason pulled away, gazing down at the smaller boy. He could see the longing and desperation in Nico's dark eyes. Jason was sure he looked much the same, but he refrained from doing anything else, otherwise he'd never leave. Instead, he pressed a kiss to the dark-haired boy's cheek, squeezed him around the middle, and released him, fumbling blindly to his car. He sat behind the steering wheel, gripping it so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Well Jay," Percy said softly, causing the blonde boy to jump. "That was actually quite romantic, but do you think you could take Annabeth and myself home now? You'll see him again in the morning," he added. Jason nodded. But why did he feel like he was leaving a piece of himself behind? As he pulled away, he looked in the rearview mirror. Nico stood on the curb, waving his hand in a silent good-bye.

…

The ending is both beautiful and sad. Let's see what Will has in store for our boys next chapter!


	9. Chapter 8-Will Tells

Alright so I posted chapter seven sometime this afternoon, and I bet you all wanna know what Will does to Jay and Neeks. Well, here's what happens to them. Sorry guys, but it most definitely not fluff.

…

Jason knew something was wrong the minute he walked into school. The hallway was abuzz with conversation, but not the usual loud conversation with laughing and jokes. It was hushed, and people avoided Jason like was the black plague. Jason stared at them quizzically. Everyone loved him, so why were they going out of their way to avoid him. He was able to shrug it off until gym. Percy was standing outside the locker with Nico, grim-faced. Jason looked at him.

"It appears we may have acted a little too late," the brunette said, and Nico threw himself at the blonde, who caught him and held him close. His head spun. What exactly was going on here? "Nico," Percy said gently, staring the dark-haired boy right in the eyes. "Maybe Jason would take it better from you." Nico nodded solemnly and turned to the blonde.

"Jay," Nico said softly, tracing patterns on his chest. Jason watched Nico, and something about his body language screamed trouble. "Jay," the dark-haired boy repeated, swallowing hard. "Everyone _knows_, Jay. They know about us. About _you_. That's why everyone has been avoiding you." Jason slowly sank to his knees, releasing the dark-haired boy.

"No," he mumbled. "They can't. I…I'm not ready for everyone to know. Percy, Will promised he wouldn't say anything." Jason felt tears welling in his eyes, and Nico knelt beside him, rubbing his shoulder. "He promised Percy," the blonde boy said softly. "I don't want to go in there. They're going to judge me."

"No they won't," the brunette said fiercely. "Come on Jay. You won't know how people will take it until you actually face them. I promise I won't leave you alone in there. And Nico will be right beside you the whole time. You've got support Jay. It doesn't matter what the others think of you. Your real friends would accept you no matter what." Jason swiped at his eyes and smiled. "Now come on," the brunette said, jerking his thumb toward the locker room door. "Let's go." Nico helped the blonde stand, and together they made their way inside. Before they'd been there, there was a measurable amount of chatter. Now, it died away as heads slowly turned to study Jason and Nico. The smaller boy pressed himself against the blonde, and Jason's arm went around him.

"Fags!" Leo called out, and there was a chorus of calls after that. Jason stared at the floor and refused to meet anyone's eyes. But Nico gazed around the locker room. He noticed Frank wasn't laughing and joking with the rest of the boys. In fact, he was giving them disapproving looks. And, surprisingly, so was Jake, Will's wingman. Will was yelling out insults at them, but Leo drowned him out. "Eww, we change in front of them guys," he said, holding his throat. "And they watch us change!"

"Knock it the fuck off Leo," Percy said. "Can't you see what you're doing to them?" Jason still refused to meet anyone's eyes, and Nico had his face buried in Jason's shoulder. "Come on guys," Percy said, leading them to the back. "I sense negativity here. Frank, Jake, do you want to join us?" Both boys nodded and followed the trio into the back of the locker room. "I'm surprised that you're here Jake," Percy said coolly as Jason and Nico settled down onto the bench, and Jake winced. "After all, you're Will's wingman. I would think you'd be out there, laughing right along with him. Frank," he added, addressing the giant. "I'm glad to see you here." Frank grunted, and Jake look at the front of the room with disgust.

"This is a low blow, even for Will," he said. "If I knew this was the kind of stunts he liked to pull, I would've stopped liking him lo…" Jake came to a crashing halt, his eyes widening considerably. Percy gazed at him curiously.

"So you have a crush on Will, yes?" he said, and Jake nodded and glanced away. "Hmmm, time for a coming out party then," Percy said with false cheerfulness, sitting down beside Jason and Nico. "So that's why you don't approve of what he's doing now? You didn't care when he was picking on Nico's athletic ability? Or stealing his clothes and making him feel embarrassed? Or spying on Jason and Nico until he found out they were gay, swore he wouldn't say anything, but did just the opposite, just for a cheap laugh." Jake sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I've always hated what he did to other people," he said quietly. "But telling everyone Jason and Nico's secret was the final straw. It also means I could be his next target. What kind of friend is that?" His shoulders sagged, and Jason felt bad for him. He couldn't help that he liked his best friend, who also happened to hate what he was. He almost felt sympathetic for Will's ex wingman, who was looking more broken that he would probably care to admit. "Nico," the other boy said, turning to the dark-haired boy. "I really hope you can forgive me for everything I've done to you. I never imaged Will could be this cruel." Nico gazed at Jake with his intense, dark gaze, causing the other boy to shift uncomfortably.

"Newsflash Jake," Nico finally said. "Will is the worst person I've ever met. You would be saving yourself a lot of heartache if you just forget about him." Jake averted his gaze and nodded, sighing in defeat. "I know if tough, to get over someone you really like. But it is doable. And Will is incapable of liking anyone but himself."

"I know that," Jake said. "Deep down, I really know that. But this crush; it's consumed me and made my judgment cloudy. I can only see the good in Will. And there is good. He's really sweet when he wants to be. Do you know when I was sick, he brought me soup and movies so I wouldn't be bored? And every Valentine's Day and Christmas and my birthday he gets me something. For a long time, I thought maybe he liked me back, that maybe I was missing some sign. But then Will confided in me the other day after he found Jason and Nico kissing that it was the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen, and that he'd throw up if he ever had to see it again." Jake swallowed hard and massaged his throat, wiping at his eyes in addition. "That's when I knew that any hope I'd been clinging to was false. That Will was most definitely straight, and a homophobe in addition." Jake stared at the ground and his shoulder's shook. Percy's cool gaze softened as Jake poured his heart out, and before he could wallow in self-pity too long, Percy squeezed his shoulder. His brown eyes met Percy's sea-green eyes.

"I'm sorry Jake," Percy said softly. "What I'm not sorry about is the fact you deserve this to some degree. Karma is finally getting you back for what you've done. But," he added at the other boy's distraught gaze. "Karma will also provide you with someone who will appreciate you and love you just the way you are. Just look at those two." The blonde and the dark-haired boy were deep in conversation. By now, their eyes were dry. Jason softly kissed Nico, then whispered something in his ear. Nico threw his head back and laughed, then nuzzled Jason's neck. It was the blonde's turn to laugh. Jake smiled thinly.

"They are the definition of a perfect couple," he said. "I hope I can find someone like that." Jason looked at him.

"You will Jake," he said. "In time, you will. You'll find your other half. And it'll be the best feeling in the world." He turned to Nico and pressed his lips to the dark-haired boy's ear. "It felt that way the first day I laid eyes on you," he whispered. "And it's felt that way every day since." Nico smiled.

"Jason Grace, the hopeless romantic," Nico said with a giggle. "But your sentiment is very welcome," he added. Jason rolled his eyes.

"That's the last time I be corny," he threatened with a smile. "Or maybe not. Now that they know, I don't mind saying things like that. I want the world to know I like you now." Nico grinned.

"That would certainly be nice," the dark-haired boy agreed. "But let's see exactly how the whole world reacts first. I don't want to cower in fear, but I want to be somewhat accepted by my peers." Jason sighed and nodded. So far, it only looked like a handful of people actually accepted them. Jason wasn't even sure how many people knew about Jake. It couldn't have been that many, because no one was jeering at him. So that left Frank, the oddball. The young giant was sort of like Percy's shadow, but the blonde didn't know if he had any motives of his own. Most likely not, but it never hurt to double check.

"Hey Frank," Jason said, capturing his attention. "How come you haven't sided with Will yet?" The young giant emitted a rumbling sound from deep in his chest.

"Will is a homophobe and a prick," he responded. "I definitely don't approve of what he's doing to you guys. You deserve privacy just like everyone else, because, whether Will chooses to believe it or not, you're just like everyone else. The only difference is you like the same sex. And what's the harm in that?" Everyone, even Percy, turned to look at the young giant. Percy stared at him, openmouthed. Apparently, Frank wasn't known for his deep thinking. Frank simply shrugged and sat down on one of the other many wooden benches running parallel to the lockers. Percy snapped his jaw shut and nodded at Frank, smiling and spreading his hands. Jason observed quietly. Percy was very much like the ringleader of a circus, and here he was once again, calling out the acts as they came.

"Well put Frank," the brunette said, slapping him on the back. Frank did likewise, and the brunette went staggering, but he popped up just as quickly. "Very well put indeed. And I couldn't agree with you more. Jason and Nico, and Jake now, are just like everyone else, with no noticeable differences." Frank readily agreed with the brunette. Jake blushed faintly and looked anywhere but at the group of boys. Nico said nothing, but he continued to twist Jason's shirt around his fingers. Only Jason seemed even a little phased by his words. His eyes misted over, but it was from happiness rather than the usual fear and humiliation. Even if it was a small group of people, he had support. And he was very thankful for the fact.

…

The rest of the blonde's day passed in a blur. No one wanted to sit by him anymore, and no one passed him notes or attempted to talk to him. He didn't have any other classes with Nico, Percy, Annabeth, Frank, or Jake, so he was left to fend for himself. It wouldn't be so bad, if he didn't have Will in five of his eight classes of the day. Will was always there with a sharp remark or a sarcastic mark. By the end of the school day, and by the time the swim meet rolled around, Jason felt numb. If you could call what he was feeling numb at all. It wasn't just a lack of feeling, it was an utter lack of emotion. If he could feel at all, he would feel relieved the end of the day was here, and that he could swim to take his mind off of things.

Jason pushed his way into the locker room next to the pool and made his way to his locker. He did his best to ignore the stares and the lull in conversation. He extracted his swim trunks and ducked into a stall, feeling self-conscious for the first time in years. He changed quickly, then stuffed his belongings into his locker, thankfully more or less away from everyone else. Percy came and sat down on the bench opposite the blonde's locker, watching him through slitted eyes. The blonde sighed heavily and plunked down next to him.

"This has been one of the hardest days of high school yet," the blonde said, raking his fingers through his hair. "Thank god we have a swim meet today. It came get my mind of things." But, when it came time to file out to the pool, Jason lingered back until he was the last one to leave the locker room. He trailed behind the rest of the team, who were already at the short, yellow, plastic bench at the edge of the pool. He noticed with some surprise that the other team hadn't come out of the visiting locker room yet. He plopped down at the end of the bench and leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. It was only a matter of time until the other team came out. Jason abandoned the bench and did a series of small stretches off to the side, away from the rest of the team. He shook his shoulders and rolled his head to the side. It was time to beat some ass! But before the team could get too worked up, Coach came out, looking rather grim.

"The other team forfeit," he told the team, who muttered to themselves. Jason's stomach twisted itself into knots. Say what now?

"Why exactly did they forfeit?" Percy asked, and the other team nodded in agreement with him. Every single person was curious as to why the visiting team wouldn't compete against them. Coach, without actually meaning to, glanced at Jason.

"They refuse to swim with a gay boy on the team," he said softly, so just the first few people could hear. Unfortunately for the blonde, Will was among the few that could hear.

"Oh good God Grace. Go back to the locker room and wait there will you? Some of us actually want to swim." Jason fled before Coach or Percy could say anything. He stripped down, kicked his trunks away, then slipped his shorts on. He left everything in the locker room and fled to find Nico, who was supposed to be trying out for tennis. But the dark-haired boy was coming out of the opposite locker room, tears streaming down his cheeks. Jason swept him up into an embrace.

"Nico, what happened?" he asked in alarm. Nico wiped away his tears, then burst into fresh ones, burying his face in Jason's chest. "Shh, baby, what's wrong?" Jason asked, smoothing down his rumpled hair.

"They won't let me try out for tennis," the dark-haired boy said softly. "Coach Hoover won't take a gay boy under his wing. He threatened to tell Principal Blofis if I didn't leave the court immediately." Jason released Nico and clenched his fists at his side.

"Okay, I've had about enough of this," he said. "I don't care what happens to me, but Coach Hoover saying that to you is taking things too far. I won't have the boy I love be bullied so much he can't do the things he likes." Either Nico was in too much shock to notice what Jason said, or he didn't let on he heard it. But Jason heard himself say it. Did he really just call Nico the boy he loved? It was true of course, but he'd never said it out loud. Squaring his shoulders, he began to march down the hall. Nico practically had to jog to keep up, and the blonde slowed his pace some so they were walking shoulder to shoulder.

"Where are we going?" Nico asked, shooting curious glanced at Jason. The blonde watched the dark-haired boy out of the corner of his eye, and he saw him about ready to ask another question. He stopped abruptly; Nico actually walked a few more steps before he stopped and turned back to Jason, crossing his arms and glaring at him. "Are you going to tell me where we're going yet, or are you just going to leave me in the dark?" he questioned the blonde. Jason chuckled lowly and kissed Nico's forehead.

"We're going to talk to Principal Blofis ourselves," he replied. "I've had enough of Will and the coaches. They've no right to keep us from doing activities we enjoy. And Will had no right to tell everyone about us in the first place. It's time we got Principal Blofis involved. Besides, this school has a no tolerance policy regarding bullying. It's about damn time they enforce it." The blonde paused outside of the office door and took a deep breath. "Are you ready Nico?" The dark-haired boy gave a tiny nod. The blonde slipped his hand in the dark-haired boy's hand, squeezing reassuringly. Then, wordlessly, he pushed his way into the office, clutching Nico's hand for dear life.

…

Poor boys! I hate writing stuff like this, I truly do. I don't want them to be bullied any more than you do. But the bullying is the basis of the story, so it is inevitable.


	10. Chapter 9-I Love You

IT's been almost a week since I updated. Hey, that's a long time for me. Anyway, I have so many story plots in my head it isn't even funny anymore. I don't know what to do with them all. But I decided to ignore of the few really outrageous ones and type up a new chap of this story instead. Lucky you guys.

…

"So you mean to tell me?" Principal Blofis said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That Will Solace has told the whole school you boys are gay, and is bullying you to top it off? And no one thought to tell me sooner?" When put like that, it did sound bad. Jason gripped Nico's hand still, and he was glad the smaller boy was with him. He didn't think he could do this without Nico. Nico was swinging his legs and staring at the floor. For some reason, Nico's feet didn't reach the floor. Maybe these were exceptionally tall chairs.

"That sounds about right sir," Jason replied. "Your stepson Percy would probably tell you the same story if you asked him about it." Principal Blofis sighed and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.

"So now my stepson is a part of this too?" he asked to no one in particular. "That's wonderful. What am I going to tell his mother? Percy isn't normally part of things like this." Nico whimpered and ducked his head. "Oh, I didn't mean any offense to that," Paul said, wincing. "Percy must think highly of the both of you if he's willing to throw himself into this mess."

"With all due respect sir, Percy has been a gigantic help," the blonde interrupted. "He fought off Will for both of us and always made sure Nico and I had some…alone time after gym." The blonde flared red and Paul cocked an eyebrow. Nico chuckled at Jason's reaction to that. It's not like it was a secret the blonde and the dark-haired boy disappeared into the back of the locker room together from time to time. "Percy also makes Nico feel wanted in gym, and in other classes," the blonde added, turning and smiling down at the dark-haired boy. Nico smiled back at him and then stared back at the ground, swinging his legs. He was still too small for the chair.

"I'm glad you boys told me," Paul finally said. "And I am dearly sorry I have to say this, but for the time being, I can't do anything."

"What?!" Jason exploded. "You're the principal. You're supposed to enforce the no tolerance policy. Nico and I have been bullied, and I demand something be done about it!" The blonde slammed his fist against the desk, and Nico jumped. "Sorry baby," Jason said over his shoulder. Paul winced. It really did sadden him to see the normally happy youth brought low enough to come to the principal himself. He liked Jason, he really did. But he didn't see the bullying first hand, and no teacher had come forward with any information. "Come on Nico," Jason growled, moving toward the door. "There's obviously nothing more to see here." Nico scrambled off his chair and shot a cold look at Paul before striding after Jason. Paul went to his doorway and watched the two boys. Jason was a little ahead, but a quick glance over his shoulder made him slow down until Nico caught up to him. Then they walked side by side. Paul had to smile. He'd never seen a couple do that before, if Nico and Jason were even an official couple.

"Why didn't you mention the coaches?" Nico asked Jason on the way back to the locker rooms. Both boys needed their things. The blonde sighed and shook his head.

"He wouldn't believe me anyway," he replied. "They would deny like their lives depended on it. My coach never said I couldn't swim though. I chose not to be humiliated any further. Will swims varsity, you see, and he was mocking me."

"Aww my poor superman," Nico said, standing on his toes and brushing his lips against Jason's. "Will's no fun is he? Let's say you and I skip school tomorrow. You can hang out at my apartment and we can watch scary movies all day long while you sing to me." Nico flashed the blonde a grin, and the blonde chuckled. The way Nico put it sounded very appealing, doubly so because they'd be away from all the torment and tears at school. But Jason shook his head.

"I'll see if I can spend the night," the blonde replied. "But we have to go to school baby." He hooked his arms around the dark-haired boy's waist outside of the locker room. "It wouldn't look good if we stayed home tomorrow after all the bullshit that's been going on. We have to face this sooner or later, and I'd rather get it over with as soon as possible." Nico pouted, but he nodded all the same. He knew that. It didn't mean he liked the fact though. "Besides, tomorrow will be bearable, as long as you're by my side." Jason leaned down and kissed the smaller male, pushing him against the wall and slipping a hand behind his head. Nico wrapped his hands around Jason's neck.

"Whoa." Both boys sprang apart as Percy came out of the locker room, drying his spikey hair with a small, white towel. "What the hell did I just walk out on?" he asked the blonde, giving him a lopsided grin. "Sorry to spoil the moment Jay, but coach wants to see you." Jason's stomach dropped through the floor. He wasn't ready for this. "He's in the locker room." The blonde took a few deep breaths.

"Alright, I'll be in in just a second," the blonde replied. Percy gave him one last lopsided grin before disappearing inside the locker room. "Fuck Nico," the blonde said, sagging against the wall. "I don't want to go in there. Please come with me."

"Okay," the dark-haired boy said, taking Jason's hand. Jason gave him a thin smile and squeezed his hand, moving toward the door. He paused and took a few deep breaths. Fuck he didn't want to do this, not now. He squared his shoulders and pushed his way in. A few scattered conversations stopped as everyone turned to stare at the approaching couple. Will sneered, but he said nothing. Jason moved and wrapped his arm around the dark-haired boy's waist. There was a low murmur through the assembled boys, and Jason squeezed Nico tighter. Now that they knew, he wasn't going to shy away from Nico.

"Jason," Coach began, and once again the conversation died away. Percy moved to the blonde's other side while Jake stood on the other side of Nico. Both boys crossed their arms in unison and stared at the coach. Will gaped at Jake, but said nothing. He set his jaw and pointedly turned away. Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Jake wince. "Percy, Jake, maybe you could take…um…"

"Nico," Percy supplied. Coach nodded vigorously.

"Yes, Nico, away for me. I would like to speak to Jason in private." Jason's grip on Nico's waist tightened further. They weren't taking his Nico away from him. Not that easily, anyway. But Percy and Jake didn't move, so Coach just sighed and shook his head. "Fine," he said. "I guess you all get to hear this. Jason, I'm kicking you off the team."

"What?" Jason asked faintly. Nico turned his head and buried his face in Jason's shoulder, talking softly to him. "You can't do that Coach, the rules…"

"Don't specify what to do in this situation," Coach interrupted. "So for the time being, you're off the team." He lowered his voice so only the four boys in front of him could hear. "Just until this whole thing blows over."

"Count me out too Coach," Percy spoke up. "I won't be a part of this if Jason isn't. This is his team too."

"I'm out too," Jake piped up. "I won't stand by and watch my teammate be humiliated. I've always been proud to be a Hurricane, but this isn't what we're about. Hurricanes are supposed to have each other's back, no matter what. We're supposed to support each other and love each other, not in that way William!" he added when Will opened his mouth to speak. "Hurricanes don't turn their backs on each other when they need it the most." He turned to Nico and stuck out his hand. "Nico, I'm proud to call you a teammate. You're a great example of what we're all about." Nico grinned and shook Jake's hand.

"Well put Jake," Percy said, turning to Coach. "Now, I think we're going to leave. If you change your mind, you take it up with my stepdad. I'm sure he'd love to hear all about this." Coach stepped back like he'd been slapped. Percy ushered the small group of boys out into the hallway, snatching things up as they went. "That went well," Percy said with false cheerfulness.

"Did you mean what you said?" the blonde asked, addressing Jake. The other brunette turned to look at him. "About teammates. About Nico. About…" He spread his hands. "Everything." Jake smiled.

"Of course," Jake replied. "I really am sorry for what I've done to you Nico. You and Jason are a better representation of our school than Will and those guys could ever be." Nico beamed at him. Jason wrapped his arm around the dark-haired boy's waist and kissed his temple. He was suddenly grateful for Jake as well, because he'd done something no one else really had. And that was make Nico feel like he was a part of their school. A proud Hurricane.

…

Jason was allowed to spend the night with Nico, mostly because the blonde's mother felt sorry for both boys. Thalia told her what happened as soon as she got home from a Student Council meeting. When Jason got home, he was greeted with hugs and brownies, neither of which he minded. Nico looked mildly uncomfortable, holding a smashed brownie in his hand while Jason's mom fussed over him, making sure he was okay. He held up his brownie questioningly, and Jason shook his head, smiling. He stuffed another bite of his in his mouth. Thalia didn't bother them the entire time they were there, which meant she actually cared.

Now, they were in Nico's apartment. Hazel was nowhere to be seen, so they had the place to themselves. Jason packed extra shirts on the off chance Nico wanted to steal one. Good thing he did, because this time Nico stole his blue Hurricane's shirt. Huh? Must be some pride thing, the blonde thought. Maybe Nico was finally starting to feel like he fit in. Funny how something good could come out of something so horrible. The dark haired boy was in just the Hurricanes shirt, sitting with his back against the arm of the couch, laptop balanced precariously on his knee. Beside him was a plate of brownies the blonde's mom packed for them. Jason had been in the shower, but now he leaned against the dark-haired boy's doorframe and watched him. Nico was wiggling around with his headphones in, so that meant he was dancing. He hadn't noticed the blonde yet, which was probably a good thing.

Jason smiled and kept watching him. Nico was furiously typing away on his laptop. Occasionally, Nico reached down to lift a brownie to his mouth. There had to be at least a dozen left, but Nico was really chowing down now that he didn't have someone watching him. Or so he thought, the blonde thought with a smile. Nico laughed at something on the computer and hunched over, scribbling something in a notebook on his other side. He went back to the laptop and tapped his pencil against his lower lip thoughtfully. Jason folded his arms over his chest and smiled. He could watch Nico all day. Nico finally caught sight of Jason. He extracted the headphones and grinned.

"Hey Jay," he said. "Whatcha doing just standing there?" The blonde moved and settled beside Nico, on the other side of the brownies. He took one of his own and bit down. It was still warm and chocolaty, and he practically purred with pleasure. "These really are good," Nico added with a grin of his own.

"Mom makes the best brownies," the blonde replied. "As to what I was just standing there for, I was just watching you." Nico looked up with surprise.

"I'm not that interesting, surely?" he asked the blonde, tilting his head to the side. "No one has ever just stood and watched me before."

"No one's been here long enough to appreciate it," Jason responded. He really wanted to say one thing, but he held back. He didn't want to frighten Nico. Not this early in their already rocky half-relationship. They hadn't even been out on a proper date yet. This weekend, instead of bumming around feeling sorry for himself, maybe the blonde should take Nico somewhere special. The carriage rides were out, since the last time they went to Central Park they ran into Will and his posse. Nico didn't like water much so boats were out. They'd already tried to movies. That left dinner. But where would he take him? Jason studied Nico. The dark-haired boy still had one ear bud in, and he was listening to something that he liked, because he was grinning from ear to ear. Jason listened closely for a couple seconds. "It's All of Me," he said.

"Correct," the dark-haired boy replied. "This will be our song, kay? Every time I hear it, it makes me think of you." Jason was too stunned to properly speak. Nico never appeared to the blonde as someone who would like sentimental things like having a couple's song. And with Jason's favorite song no less.

"I find no fault with that," the blonde replied at last, a slow smile spreading across his features. "That makes it extra special for our wedding someday. We can dance to our song." Nico gave the blonde a funny look and set his laptop aside. He plunked his head onto Jason's lap and gazed up at him.

"Are we going to get married?" the dark-haired boy asked quietly. "What if we don't last until senior year?" Jason glanced down at the dark-haired boy, horrified.

"I can't imagine such a thing!" he exclaimed. "I…" He stopped. He about said it! He couldn't say it. Not now. Nico might go scurrying away. The dark-haired boy gazed up at him.

"What were you going to say Jason?" he asked, reaching up and resting his palm on the blonde's cheek. "Please say what you were going to say." The blonde glanced away.

"I can't," I replied just as softly. "I can't say it Nico."

"I bet I know what it is," Nico replied. "And if you really cared about me, you would say it." I sighed and lifted him so he was sitting up. I leaned in and brushed my lips against his, seeking his eyes.

"Okay," the blonde responded. "I'll say it. Nico, I love you." The blonde ducked his head, refusing to meet Nico's eyes. "I'm head over heels in love with you. I have been since the beginning. I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I love you too Jason," the dark-haired boy replied, lifting his chin so they were eye to eye again. "Something about you is impossible not to love." Jason's eyes widened at Nico's words. The dark-haired boy laughed. "Yes Jason, I love you too."

…

Long after Nico was asleep, Jason lay awake, staring at the ceiling. He was too excited to sleep. Nico loved him! Nico really loved him! He'd be floating on air the rest of the weekend, the rest of the week, the rest of the month. I can't believe I actually said I love you to Nico. And he said it back. This had to be the best thing that has come out of his awful day. I held Nico tighter and he mumbled in his sleep. I smiled.

"I love you Nico," I whispered to his sleeping form. He smiled in his sleep. "That's adorable. I love you." I would never tire of saying that. I hoped he'd never tire of hearing it. I ran my fingers through his dark hair and smiled as he wiggled in his sleep, mumbling again. "Oh Nico, you make me so happy," I continued. "I can't believe you're really mine."

"You better believe it blondie," he mumbled, opening his eyes. "Now get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." I wrapped my arms tighter around him and pulled him close. He rested his head on my chest and fisted my orange shirt. I stroked back his hair and he murmured happily.

"Night Nico," I said. "I love you so much."

…

Well isn't that a big step forward for them!


	11. Chapter 10-Jake and Will's Story

Okay, everyone's a seriously dedicated fan now. So I mention All of Me twice, and now you listen to it whilst reading? That's either serious dedication or complete nuttiness. I like to think of it as dedication. I'm glad you like that little touch though. Every couple needs a song, even if they aren't official yet. (also, I'm listening to the song while I type lol)

…

Percy was absent the next day, which made the blonde incredibly nervous. Granted, he could hold his own. It was just comforting knowing that Percy was around. Jason wasn't sure if he even wanted to go to gym, but Nico, of all people, insisted that it would be in their best interest to go and act as normal as possible. Both boys changed quickly and headed out to the actual gym, standing side by side at the faded red line. Jason performed the series of stretches quickly, watching as Nico kept pace with him. Maybe Nico was finally limbering up. Jason certainly felt a little smarter under Nico's watchful eye.

"Okay kiddies, today is basketball. Two teams. Pick captains and get to it," Mr. Holme said from his corner. Will shot the blonde a sly smile and motioned Malcolm Parker forward. The other blonde stepped forward nervously.

"I nominate myself and Malcolm," Will said. No one thought to argue, though Frank and Jake looked at Jason curiously. Jason ducked his head and tried to appear as small as possible. He never felt insignificant in gym, but right now that's exactly how he felt. Small and insignificant. "Let's see," Will said wickedly, looking around the group of boys. "I pick…Jason." Jason's head shot up as he moved to stand beside the other boy, who grinned devilishly at him.

"Leo," Malcolm said, then yelped as Will elbowed him in the side, shaking his head. "I mean Nico," Malcolm said sheepishly. The dark-haired boy took a step back, his dark eyes widening.

"You can't do that Will," Jake spoke up. "Malcolm has already made his pick. Also, don't you all think it's a bit unfair that Will is trying to separate Nico and Jason on purpose?" There were a few muted agreements. Frank simply nodded. "I say let Leo be with Mal, and whatever happens, happens." Will glared at his once partner in crime, and Jake winced. "Sorry Will," he apologized. Jason felt rather sorry for Jake. He still liked Will, very much against his own will.

"Whatever," Will huffed angrily. "Leo can be with Malcolm." The small Latino took his place behind Mal, glancing curiously at Jake, who had his back turned. "I'll take Frank," Will said moodily. No matter who he or Malcolm choose, there would always be supporters of the two boys.

And so it went, until it was only Nico and Jake. Neither looked happy about being last. Jake reached out and patted Nico's shoulder, looking at Will and Leo in turn. It was Will's pick now. The blonde boy didn't look any happier about choosing either of them. Jake refused to even look at him. That stabbed at Will painfully. He would never tell anyone this, but he missed Jake. The other boy might not have been as heartless as the blonde, but he'd been Will's best friend for years. Maybe Will was just being a jerk.

"Nico," he said softly. Both Nico and Jake looked surprised. Will looked behind himself and noticed Jason doing a little dance around Frank. He remained straight-faced, but the shorter blonde was smiling inside. He felt like he made the right choice. Besides, Nico was becoming quite the athlete. He was agile and fast on his feet. That could prove to be useful in basketball. Jake moved to be with Malcolm. Out of the corner of his eye, Will caught Jake giving him sad and longing looks. Will huffed and faced his team. He had about nine players. That would be enough to cover all the positions. But something felt off about this. He and Jake were always on the same team. For the first time, they weren't. He glanced at Jason, and found the taller blonde's hand in Nico's. He thought about making some sharp remark, but his heart wasn't in it.

"Are you okay Will?" Jason, of all people, asked the shorter blonde. Will opened his mouth for a snide retort, but then he shut it.

"Yes Jason," he said. "Just distracted I guess. Now, since we have the best team imaginable, I bet we can beat Mal and his crowd."

"Even Jake?" Nico asked innocently. Will didn't know if he wanted to thank the dark-haired boy for pointing that out or smack him upside his brainy head. But then he'd have Jason and Frank to deal with. Be that as it may, he sucked in a few breaths.

"Yes, even Jake," Will replied, but there was a hitch in his voice that hadn't been there before. Jason studied his enemy. Will kept shooting swift glances over his shoulder at Jake, who was listening intently to whatever Malcolm was saying.

"I think he misses his friend," Nico whispered quietly in the blonde's ear. Jason nodded. It certainly seemed that way. But he didn't feel sorry for Will, not for a minute. He deserved every bit of karma he was being given. If losing Jake as his best friend made him change his ways, so be it. Still, Jason couldn't imagine losing his best friend.

…

"You did amazing," Jason whispered in Nico's ear after class. Nico proved himself once again, shooting basket after basket for his team. Nico beamed at him and stood on his toes, kissing the blonde's cheek. "There's my confident little bookworm," Jason said, wrapping his arms around the dark-haired boy's waist. Nico leaned his head on the blonde's shoulder, closing his eyes. Jason kissed the top of his head and hummed softly in his ear.

"That's so picturesque, I'm almost sorry I didn't take one," Jake said, interrupting the moment. "You don't seem the least bit fazed that people know now." Jake's smile looked a little forced, and he sat down heavily on the wooden bench across from the couple. Jason turned to study him. Jake's shoulders drooped ever so slightly, and the forced smile never reached his sad brown eyes. Jake looked defeated.

"Do you miss Will?" Jason asked the brunette, who flinched. "Just be honest Jake. He misses you."

"You'd better not be lying or I'm tearing every single strand of blonde hair from your head," Jake threatened half-heartedly. "Of course I miss him. He is…he was…my best friend. We've done everything together. Hell, he was there when I broke my arm playing kiddie tackle football. I was there when he broke his leg sledding down that giant-ass hill about a mile out of town. We even had the chicken pox together. It's just so different not having him around for this."

"What would this be?" Nico asked, moving to sit beside the brunette. The absence of Percy seemed to be forgotten for the time being.

"Figuring myself out," Jake replied softly. "Realizing I like the same sex. Will wouldn't support me for this. He's the biggest homophobe I know. That doesn't stop me from wishing he did support me though. You'd figure your best friend would have your back no matter what. Will's the kind of best friend that comes with a price apparently." Jake took a shaky breath and wiped away the first traces of tears. "He's got to be the worst bully I've ever encountered. I'm glad I have you two though. It makes it almost worthwhile." The blonde and the dark-haired boy sandwiched the brunette in a double-sided hug.

"We've got your back Jake," Jason said. "No matter what." They were unaware of the fourth presence, lingering just beyond the doorway to the second room. Will heard every word Jake said about him, both the good memories and the bad bullying. Was he really the worst bully Jake had ever met? Also, he didn't care if Jake liked the same sex. He loved Jake. He would never hurt him. Not on purpose anyway. But he just hurt him in the worst possible way, simply by not supporting him when he needed it most. What kind of best friend was he? He moved away from the door. He'd heard enough for the day. He'd already had a heavy heart. Now it felt like a ton of bricks were sitting in his chest.

…

"I feel so bad for Jake," Nico confessed to the blonde after school. They were at Jason's locker, and Nico was waiting for Jason to get the last of his stuff so he could take them both back to the dark-haired boy's apartment. "Loving someone who will never love him back. That's gotta be the cruelest thing." Jason sighed and slipped his backpack over his shoulder, shutting his locker.

"Will has this coming, but Jake's the unfortunate pawn in this chess game. I wish there was something we could do for Jake. He insists he's fine, but I'm sure he's breaking." The dark-haired boy nodded sadly and trailed Jason out to the parking lot. The blonde threw his backpack into the backseat of his mom's car. Nico slid into the passenger seat and set his bag on the floor between his feet. He folded his hands on his lap and stared out the window. "Maybe Jake could come and spend the night with us tonight. I bet that would cheer him up." Nico turned and gazed at the blonde as he climbed in. "What?"

"Hanging with us won't cheer him up," Nico responded. "Hanging with Will would do the trick. You see it don't you? He likes the attention he gets from us, sure, but all he wants is for Will to pay attention to him. Even just a little bit. He really misses the Will he once knew, who did everything with him." The blonde sighed and nodded in agreement.

"I think you're right Neeks," he replied at last. "I wish Will would just talk to him. If anything, maybe they could speak a little about nonsense." Nico and Jason rode on silence for awhile, both thinking about their new friend. Jake had to have the worst luck of them all. At least Jason and Nico had each other. Jake had no one, and not because he didn't want anyone. No, the one he wanted was a huge jackass about his sexual preferences. Will needed a few beats to the head. Maybe Jason should've let his right hook travel a little faster into the side of Will's head.

"Jason, are you doing to sit there all day?" Nico asked, twisting in his seat to look at the blonde. "We're at my house now." Jason blinked in surprise. He hadn't even been aware of the fact he'd driven all the way to Nico's apartment. But here they were. The blonde must have zoned out while he was driving. Good thing they didn't serve in the other lane. The blonde slipped out and followed the dark-haired boy up to the apartment, which they got into via Hazel. "Do you know what happened to Percy?" Nico asked his sister as he began taking things out his backpack. "He wasn't at school today.

"Oh, Percy has mono," Hazel replied. Nico looked up at her, shocked.

"What?" he asked. "And Annabeth doesn't. How does that work?" Hazel shrugged her shoulders and went into her room. The blonde's head spun. Percy had mono? Wasn't that contagious? "I'm sure Percy will be better soon," the dark-haired boy continued, setting things out on the small kitchen table as he went.

"Isn't mono contagious?" Jason asked Nico, who shrugged. "I think so. I hope we don't get it. We hang around him all the time. Especially me." Once again, Nico shrugged. "Oh well. If we both catch it we'd get to hang at home together." He wrapped one arm around the dark-haired boy's waist and drew him closer, softly kissing him.

"Now that sounds heavenly," Nico replied when the blonde pulled away. "The staying at home together. Not the mono." Jason grimaced. Poor Percy. He'd be stuck at home for at least a week and a half. He could always tell Principal Blofis to send his regards, but he didn't want to talk to the principal right now. He had no love for him. Jason sat down at the table and watched as Nico went back and forth from an old looking leather bound book to his notebook, scribbling furiously. Jason looked closely at the book. It wasn't a school assignment. At least, not from any of the classes he was in. "It's family history," Nico replied like he knew what the blonde was thinking. "Dad's making me study up on it. It's actually interesting. I already knew my grandparents came from Italy and immigrated here shortly before my mom was born. But that's all I knew."

"You're Italian?" the blonde asked, feeling like he somehow already knew this. Nico was fair skinned after all. And he had the dark features of an Italian. Nico looked like he wanted to laugh as he nodded at the blonde.

"You betcha," he responded. "My dad's Polish apparently. Interesting combination." Nico went back to his notebook while the blonde leaned back in his chair. His phone chimed musically in his pocket, and he fished it out. Percy had sent him a text. Random.

_Jay_, the blonde read quietly to himself. _I don't know what you said to Jake, but he showed up at my apartment all depressed. Mom had to send him packing. Is it about Will? I know Jake misses him terribly, despite all the bullshit Will's put him through_. Jason felt a little bad for Jake.

_Do you have his number?_ The blonde sent back. _I bet hanging with Neeks and myself might do him some good_. After several long minutes, there was a gentle rap on Nico's door. The dark-haired boy looked up, confusion clouding his expression. He moved away from the table and threw the door open, gaping as Jake gave him a wan smile and stepped lightly around him. He plopped down beside the blonde, who rubbed his shoulder.

"Um," Nico said. "Okay then." He went back to his leather-bound book while Jason and Jake chatted quietly. Jason moved the conversation to the living room so they wouldn't bother the smaller boy in his scribbles.

"Thanks for inviting me over," Jake said after a long stretch of silence. "This whole Will thing has really gotten me down. I sought out Percy, but he was unavailable."

"He's got mono," the blonde replied. Jake looked surprised.

"And Annabeth doesn't," he mumbled, almost to himself. "How bout that. Well, I'm glad a few people will at least talk to me." The brunette ducked his head and stared at his hands. "That's more than I can say for my so called best friend." Jason placed a hand on Jake's knee, and kept it there until the brunette reluctantly looked at him.

"Will misses you like crazy Jake," Jason said. "He kept looking at you during the game, even if it didn't look like it. He wished he would've chosen you."

"Then why didn't he?" Jake asked frostily. "Why did he chose me if he was so goddamn sad about it. Malcolm didn't want me either. What? Am I not good enough for them anymore?" Ah, there it was. Jake wasn't mad at Will. He was scared. Scared he wouldn't be what Will wanted him to be. Jason wrapped his arms around the brunette in a hug.

"Aw Jake, Will thinks your great," the blonde replied, believing it to be true. He honestly didn't know if that was the case or not, but he didn't think Will would think anything less of Jake. Especially if they'd been friends for so long. "Do you like Will then?" the blonde asked, pulling away.

"No," Jake said softly. "I love him."

…

Jason couldn't sleep. He kept gazing over the side of the bed at Jake, who was sprawled out on the floor. One arm was raised above his head and the other was tossed over his face. His mouth was open slightly as he gave a little whoosh every time he breathed. After some crying, chocolate, and movies, Jake dropped like a dead person. The blonde was surprised he'd managed to fall asleep so fast. What Jake had told him earlier still bounced around in his head. How it must suck, to love someone who would never love you back.

"Go to sleep Jason," Nico mumbled, startling the blonde. "You can't stay up all night worrying about him. He's probably going to do that soon enough anyway. Even if you drop dead from exhaustion, something like that always haunts your sleep, making it impossible to properly rest." Jason stared thoughtfully down at Nico while he toyed with the smaller boy's dark curls. "Just go to sleep, my superman. You can play the hero tomorrow all you want tomorrow, but for that you need to get some rest." Nico tucked his head under Jason's chin. "Goodnight Jason, love you," he muttered sleepily before drifting back off.

"Love you too Nico," Jason said, tucking the blanket around Nico's sleeping form. But the blonde didn't want to play the part of superman tomorrow. All he wanted to do was beat Will's ass black and blue for ever having caused Jake so much pain.

…

Will tossed and turned in his bed, but sleep eluded him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Jake. He also felt something stirring inside of him, feelings he'd tried to keep down for years. But having Jason and Nico around forced him to face the facts. The facts being that he liked Jake in that more-than-friends way. That's why he hated them so much. They forced him to face the feelings he prayed would go away.

Will swung his legs over the side of his bed and padded to the window. He stared out into the night, wishing he knew where Jake was right now. He was craving the brunette's attention right now. Jake always made him laugh when he was feeling down. That was one of the many reasons Will loved having Jake around so much. He was so funny, Will could forget about his problems, if only for a brief period of time. He missed Jake so much it was a physical ache. He couldn't believe he could miss someone that much. But he did. He missed his best friend.

"God almighty above Jake I miss you so much," Will whispered. "Remember when you got sick at school, and you were so embarrassed you hid in the bathroom for three hours? I stayed with you that entire time. Or remember how in kindergarten I wet myself on the playground, and you told everyone it was just water and then took me inside to get dry clothes? We became best friends that day, huh? We've been through a lot together, haven't we?" Will punched the wall beside his window. "And I've been a damn fool to let you just slip away. I swear Jake, I will do everything in my power to get you back. And I will do anything to keep you."

…

Well, that's a side of Will I never thought we'd see. Will actually being sweet? Only for Jake of course. Always Jake.


	12. Chapter 11-Jason and Will's Talk

Okay, so someone asked me what Jake and Will's ship name would be. Honestly, the only thing I could think of that sounds remotely close is Jakill, even if Jake isn't the dominate one in this story. I can't necessarily call it Wake, can I? I can't use their last names, like Valgrace. Molace? Solsan? (okay that one sounds cool). So Jakill it shall be.

…

"Oooh," Percy groaned. "Jason, I'm so bored. You should come over and keep me company. I'm craving human interaction, even your sorry ass." Jason grimaced at the phone. He felt bad for Percy, he really did, but there was no way he was going to go over there. He wasn't interested in catching mono, no matter how many times the brunette swore he wasn't contagious anymore. He'd been gone all week, and right now it was Saturday night. Nico was away for the weekend with Hazel and his dad to who knows where. Jason missed him like crazy. It would be the first time in about a month he hadn't seen Nico for an extended period of time. He was bored, but not bored enough to be infected.

"Sorry Perce, can't," the blonde said, wincing when he heard the brunette groan and smack his head against something. "What would Nico do if I was out of school with mono? Speaking of, how the hell are you out of school with it if Annabeth is perfectly fine? She was doing a fucking tap dance down the hallway after school." Percy chuckled lowly.

"I must have caught it from the air," he replied. "Apparently you can get it that way too. I was never aware of that fact, and therefor was careless. I will think twice the next time though. This sucks big time."

"What's it like?" Jason asked, leaning against his headboard. "Having mono I mean." The brunette sighed from his end of the line.

"I'm really tired, like, all the time," he replied. "I never knew I could be this tired. My brain also feels like it's trying to break through my skull, that's how bad a headache I have right now. And I just got over a fever yesterday. So I was both hot and cold." The brunette paused. "All in all, not fun."

"And you want me to come over there?" Jason teased gently. "To catch all that stuff? I'd rather stick a fork through my eye. At least the doc would give me a fancy little eye-patch and send me on my merry way." He could practically see Percy pouting at the phone. He knew Percy would want to see somebody who wasn't Annabeth while he was still under the weather, but the blonde wasn't interested. "I can keep talking to you on the phone though," he added. "As long as mono isn't catchable that way." He waited to hear if Percy would laugh, but nothing. Maybe he was striking a sore spot for the brunette. He must've been miserable just sitting at home all day by himself with nothing to do and no one to talk to. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, causing the blonde to jump. His mom and sister were at the movies, so he was home by himself. He wasn't expecting anyone. "Hey, I'll call you back in a sec," Jason said. "Someone's here." He hung up the phone and slunk down the hallway, pausing beside the door. Someone outside shifted weight, and he caught a shock of blonde hair. Huh?

"Jason, I know you're there," Will called softly. "Please, let me in." Jason debated letting Will stand there all night long, but he wasn't like that. He couldn't bring himself to be purposefully mean to Will, no matter how much the shorter blonde boy deserved it. He threw the door open and Will leapt back, staring at him. "I didn't think you actually would," he said. Jason motioned him inside and shut the door forcefully behind him.

"You better have a damn good reason for showing your face here Will," Jason said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have no love for you right now."

"Neither does Jake," Will replied, catching the taller blonde off guard. Jake? All this was because of Jake? "I don't know what else to do," Will continued, staring at the taller blonde in dismay. "I've tried talking to him, but he steers clear of me like I'm the black plague. I can't lose him Jason. He's my best friend." Will buried his face in his hands and burst into tears. Jason stood rigid, staring at the shorter blonde in stunned silence. He never thought he'd see Will Solace bawling in his front room while he did his best to figure out what exactly was going on.

"Why would you care?" Jason asked at last. "It's not like you like him or anything. Besides, you'd just bully him to." Will tackled the taller blonde to the ground.

"You idiot," he growled. "I love Jake. I would never mean to hurt him, and I certainly wouldn't bully him for liking me." He got off Jason, who scrambled to his feet. Will stayed on his knees, staring at the floor in defeat. "And I do care. I care a lot. I've known Jake since we were in diapers. We've gone to the same school together for years. In second grade we weren't put in the same class. Jake cried until they switched me in too. We've grown up together. I can't lose his friendship my junior year of high school. How shitty is that? I just can't lose him…" Will squeezed his eyes shut, and his shoulders shook. "I can't… He's everything to me…" Jason sat down beside Will. This was the most emotion he'd ever seen the shorter blonde display. Raw emotion. Will was broken over the prospect of losing his friend.

"Why'd you come here then?" Jason asked, reaching out and rubbing the shorter male's shoulder. It was a habit. He couldn't stand to see someone upset, so he did his best to comfort them, no matter who they were. Will looked up and wiped his eyes. "Come on tough guy. I think you need some hot chocolate." He helped Will to his feet and led him to the kitchen. He warmed up a mug of milk in the microwave while Will sat down at the table, smacking his head against the surface. Jason added a generous amount of chocolate powder and stirred it with a spoon, using the spoon to taste it. Nice and sweet tasting. He dropped in a few mini marshmallows and set it down in front of Will. The shorter blonde wrapped his hands around the mug and took a sip. Then he set the mug down and rested his head on his arms. "You never did answer my question," the taller blonde said, sliding into place across from the shorter blonde. "Why'd you come here?"

"Because I knew, no matter what, you'd try to help me to the best of your abilities," the shorter blonde mumbled into his arms. "Because you're like that. I wish I was more like that. Then maybe Jake would actually want to speak to me." Will smacked his head against the table top again. "I'm the biggest jackass in this world. Can you paint that on my mug? Maybe I'd learn if I saw it every day."

"Now Will," the taller blonde chided gently. "Don't speak like that. You screwed up, yes, but you're willing to admit you were in the wrong. And you're willing to apologize for the fact. It takes real courage to do that." Will smiled a little. "Is that why you decided to torment Nico and myself? So you weren't forced to admit to yourself that you actually did like Jake?" Will glanced down at his hands.

"I didn't know Nico was gay at first," he mumbled. "So I was just being a jackass. After I found out, it was out of fear. I didn't want anyone finding me out, and to ensure that it wouldn't happen, it seemed easiest to keep everyone's attention on you. But you guys have more followers than enemies, and my support was dwindling out. It all became less fun when I found out Jake was gay too, and he was scared of me finding out, that he didn't want to talk to me anymore, for fear that I would bully him…." Will paused and took a shaky breath. "I heard what he said in the locker room," he continued. "About me being the worst bully he's ever met. I don't want that to be true. I want to change." Jason smiled at him.

"That's so cute," he said. "You want to change your ways to make Jake happy. I don't think he could ask for anything better than that."

"You really think so?" Will asked anxiously, shoving his mug of hot chocolate out of the way. He leaned over the table. He was so close that Jason could detect a hint of something minty from him. Like peppermints. "I don't want you to feed me lies to make me feel better Jason. That's not what I cam here for. I came here for honest answers, which I'm sure you can provide."

"Of course I can," Jason said, breathing in the minty scent. He somehow found himself loving that smell. It reminded him of Christmas time. "Jake was over on Tuesday, at Nico's place. He cried for hours after he came there because he thought you didn't like him anymore. It took both Nico and myself to finally calm him down. I wasn't up for this part, but apparently he woke up in the middle of the night, shook Nico awake, and burst into tears. Nico laid on the floor with him until he stopped and fell back asleep." Jason watched tears splash into Will's hands, which were folded neatly under his chin.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" he asked. "Why are you torturing me with this information? This isn't what I want to hear."

"But it's what you need to hear," the taller blonde insisted, reaching across the table and taking Will's hands in his own. "Jake told me he loves you. He has for years, he's just been so afraid to tell you because he figured you'd react with hostility."

"I would never!" Will cried in desperation. "Jake's my best friend! I would never be hostile towards him."

"He doesn't know that," Jason unhelpfully pointed out. "All he's seen from you in the last couple of weeks is you being rotten to Nico and myself. First by telling the whole school about us, then by getting me kicked off the team. Don't say you didn't do it, because you kind of did, no matter what you may think." Will had been about to protest that wasn't his doing, but the taller blonde had a point. He hadn't helped matters in any way. "Then making it so Nico and I didn't want to come to school. And finally, by purposely trying to separate us and pit us against each other in gym. Jake probably thinks that way because all he's seen from you is bad."

"But he knows I'm good too," the shorter blonde protested weakly. Jason nodded patiently. Good, he'd gotten Will talking freely about this. That was a good sign. "In all the years I've known him, I've never been anything but nice to him."

"That may be," Jason interrupted. "But he's never had to deal with telling his best friend he's in love with him." Will's whole face fell and he buried his face in his hands again. "Will, I honestly don't say any of this to hurt you. I just think you should know what Jake thinks. He misses you like crazy, and he wishes you'd have a change of heart so he could tell you how he really feels about you." Will kept his face buried. He had nothing to say right now. How was so stupid. How could he not see that Jake liked him? Even Jason picked up on that, and he'd only been around since eighth grade. He and Jake had never hung out before this year.

"Why can't he just come talk to me then?" Will asked miserably. He was so heartsick now, he felt like he'd never be better again. "Why can't he just blurt it out? He has to know I wouldn't mock him for it. I'd admire his courage to admit something so tough for him." Jason shrugged.

"Jake's sensitive," he replied at last, feeling like he officially knew Jake better than Will knew him. "He'd be embarrassed first off. And then he'd probably fear you, despite what you say. Because you don't seem to keep your word. Jake doesn't want anyone else finding out. So fair, the only people that know are Percy, Nico, Frank, myself, and you now. He wants to keep it to a bare minimum. He sees the way Nico and I are treated, even when you aren't around."

"You get bullied even when I'm not around?" Will asked. He honestly though he was the only one keeping up the charade anymore. Jason nodded.

"Sort of," he replied. "Obviously coach kicked me off the team. Principal Blofis won't do anything about this. And then there's the people who look at me like I've committed a crime for loving Nico. It's not wrong. What's wrong about loving someone? That's like saying Percy can't love Annabeth because she's the opposite of him. Blonde and smart." The shorter blonde gave a weak chuckle. "There, you see, it's not so bad," Jason said. "It's going better than I thought it would be at this point. Things may look up in the future, since everything's kind of dwindling at this point."

"I'm glad Jason," Will said, surprised to find that he meant it.

…

"You'd never believe it unless you see it yourself," Jason whispered to Percy. He peered over the edge of his bed at the boy curled up in the middle of the makeshift bed. Will had a thin blanket tossed over his middle, and he thrashed it off. Even in sleep, he looked miserable. "Will Solace is actually staying at my house," he continued.

"What made you let him stay?" Percy rasped. While the blonde had been away, Percy had developed a sore throat, just another symptom of mono. It wasn't severe and it didn't bother him unless he coughed. "I thought you hated him."

"I thought so too," the blonde replied, watching as Will tossed and turned, throwing pillows and blankets this way and that. Will muttered in his sleep, something about bullies, and turned onto his stomach. He looked restless, like he was having a nightmare. "But now I kind of feel sorry for him. I know what heartache is, and he's got it bad. He misses Jake so much he sought me out so he could get the answers he was looking for."

"That bad huh?" Percy asked, and the blonde heard a muffled thump. He was pretty sure he'd woken Percy up with his phone call. "Maybe Will is going to have a change of heart soon. Being gay isn't a bad thing after all."

"I know that, you know that, hopefully soon he knows that too," the blonde replied. Will cried out in his sleep and rolled onto his back, shaking. Jason bolted upright and stared at him. But he settled back down again and began to snore softly, so the taller blonde laid down and threw an arm over his face. "Poor Will," Jason said. "He's distraught, even in sleep."

"Love will do that to you," Percy replied. "You'd know that. Remember when Nico told you off for not sticking around after Will bullied him."

"Oh please don't remind me," Jason groaned, hitting his head against his headboard. "I'd rather not be reminded of the time I left Nico feeling unimportant. He's everything to me. Hey, Will said the same thing about Jake. He said Jake was everything to him. I hope this whole thing clears up soon. I can't imagine what Will would do without Jake around."

"I agree," Percy replied. "I've grown up watching them interact. It's freaky. They can finish each other's sentences when they really want to. Sometimes they'd convince new kids they were twins and would do that to freak them out. It was kind of fun to watch." Jason chuckled and glanced at his odd night time companion. Will was finally settled, and he breathed deeply and evenly in restful sleep.

"He's finally sleeping soundly," Jason commented to himself. "How about that? Maybe he's dreaming of his future with Jake."

"For your sanity as well as his I hope you're right," the brunette responded. "You can't continue to play the superhero Jay. Sometimes, the town folk have to figure things out for themselves." Jason found it weird that both Percy and Nico had called him a superhero. He was just being a good person. That didn't make him the blonde superman or anything.

"I'm just being nice Perce," the blonde said at last. "I'm not being a superhero. I'm just being me."

"That's what makes you the superhero," Percy replied with heart-felt sincerity. "You don't need fancy superpowers Jay. You've got the biggest heart I've ever seen on a person our age. I don't know many people that would take in the one person who's made their life a living hell. But there you are, proving once again that you can do no wrong.

"Oh stop," Jason mumbled, blushing in spite of himself. He was incredibly modest, and he hated being praised for the way he'd been brought up. His mother taught him to be nice to everyone, no matter what they'd done to him. It was just his upbringing. It didn't make him special in the least. He was just being himself. He didn't expect an award for it. "Listen, I'd better go before Will wakes up. I bet he will if he has another restless fit." Already, Will was beginning to twist himself around in the bed, mumbling. "I'll talk to you tomorrow Perce," the blonde added as he hung up. Then he sighed. Sometimes it was hard being nice. But he wasn't going to stop. Not for someone as awful as Will. Actually, right now Will needed kindness more than he needed anything else.

…

Well, isn't that quite the shocker? I think Will is finally coming around. Or he's tugging on Jason's heartstrings on purpose so he can torture him about it later. You think what you will about Will.


	13. Chapter 12-All Made Up

Okay, so I want to clear something up. Will is being honest with Jason. He has no intention to continue his ways. He is genuinely sorry and he is broken over the prospect of losing his best friend. He wants Jason's help.

…

"I don't think you'd believe it unless you were here," Jason said to Nico, cradling his phone as he made breakfast. Will was perched in front of the TV, hugging a body pillow for dear life. Half way through the night Will woke up from a nightmare and stayed awake the rest of the night. He hadn't wanted to bother Jason, so he just let the other blonde sleep. Jason felt a little guilty leaving the shorter male to his own devices, but he was right in the next room if Will needed him. "Will is truly sorry for what he's done. I've known him for a few years; I can catch the gleam in his eyes when he's lying. But he was as dull and lifeless as a rag doll. He's breaking apart."

"Hard to believe he's this big tough guy," Nico replied. "He's not so tough. He's a scared little fella isn't he?" Jason nodded, despite the fact the dark-haired boy wouldn't be able to see him. "When I get back we should help them meet up. Jake won't willingly go anywhere with Will. But he'll go somewhere with me. Will can tag along with you. Hell, if Percy's better, he and Frank can come too, that way it seems less suspicious in Jake's eyes."

"That's not a bad idea Neeks," Jason said, shifting the phone to a different ear. He whipped up the homemade waffle batter in a big bowl, enjoying the feeling of making a worthwhile breakfast. Besides, Will needed some comfort food. Waffles with plenty of stick syrup would be just the thing. Jason didn't believe in the powers of Bisquick, and therefor had to make his own batter. But it was well worth it. As he poured the first of the batter into the waffle iron with a small cup, he went to work washing and cutting fruit for a salad. Will wandered in from the living room and sat at the table, watching the taller blonde through slitted eyes. He had dark bags under his eyes that didn't match his overall light appearance. "Here Nico," Jason said, setting the phone down on the table and turning it on speaker phone. "Say hello to Will."

"Hullo Will," Nico said obediently. "Jason tells me you were there last night." Will gaped at the phone and made a little o of surprise. "A little tongue tied William?" Nico tisked. "What, is the big tough guy not so tough anymore?"

"Shut up," Will muttered, staring at his folded hands. Jason thought about scolding Will for telling Nico to shut up, but since Nico was laughing, he didn't figure it was important anymore. Nico, actually laughing at something that Will had said. This was a momentous day indeed. Jason left the two of them to speak while he attended to breakfast again. He removed the first golden waffle and inhaled its scent, his mouth watering. He poured in another cup of batter and went back to cutting strawberries.

"Oooh sounds like Jason is making his famous waffles from scratch," Nico said, and Will cracked a tiny smile. Jason wanted to applaud Nico for effectively changing the topic.

"He is," Will replied, glancing at the taller blonde. "Made the batter himself. It smells amazing." Jason set the plate in front of him and set the small glass pitcher of fresh maple syrup in front of him. It was locally grown right here in New York, and it was the sweetest tasting stuff he'd ever had. He refused to buy anything mass produced. "Thanks Jason," Will said, eagerly tucking in. Jason smiled at him, then removed the second waffle and set it on the first of two TV trays. He was going to surprise both his mom and his sister with breakfast in bed. They loved his homemade waffles and the fresh fruit salad was a nice addition. He added the last of the strawberries and stirred the salad together, smiling as he turned to scoop a generous helping onto Will's plate. The smaller blonde speared a grape and popped it into his mouth. Jason added some to his mother's plate, then waited while the third waffle turned golden and crispy. "Do you always make breakfast like this?" Will asked.

"Not always," Jason replied, snatching his phone up. "Gotta go Neeks. Love ya."

"Love ya too Jason," the dark-haired boy replied. Jason hung up with a smile on his face. He would never tire of hearing Nico say that. He removed the third waffle and started on the fourth. He turned to find Will staring at his half-eaten waffle and diminishing supply of fruit salad.

"You okay Will?" Jason asked, slathering a helping of butter on the two waffles on the TV trays. He drizzled syrup on them and added two glasses of orange juice. Perfect. "Come with me," he said, snatching up one of the trays. Will followed behind him with the second. "Are you up mommy?" Jason called.

"I am sweetie," she replied. "Come on in." Jason pushed the door open with his shoulder and showed his mother the TV tray. "Oh Jason, how sweet of you," his mother gushed as he set the tray on her lap. "You're homemade waffles! You make the best waffles." She tucked in. Will gave her a lopsided smile. Jason was glad to see Will was looking a little better.

"Let's go wake Thalia," Jason said to him, moving toward the door. Will clutched the tray he was holding tighter and followed. "Thalia," Jason said, barging into her room. "Wake up sis." Thalia lifted her head off her pillow and blinked sleepily at her brother and his…friend. "I brought Jason Grace's Famous Waffles," he announced. That woke her up. She sat up and eagerly accepted the tray from Will.

"Who's this?" she asked, eyeing Will curiously. "Not your new boy toy, surely. The other one is much cuter than this one." A splash of pink colored Will's cheeks as he shook his head.

"I'm Will Solace," he said. Thalia's dark blue eyes narrowed and Will stepped back a pace.

"The Will Solace who's been tormenting my baby brother?" she asked darkly. Will gulped and gave a tiny nod of his head. "You've got a lot of guts to come here Will Solace." Jason slung an arm over Will's shoulders.

"Will's sorry for what he did," the taller blonde said, and the shorter blonde nodded in agreement. "He's heart broken right now. Jake Mason, his best friend, won't talk to him right now because of what he's done. He misses him so much. All he wants is his best friend back." Thalia's expression softened some and she reached out and took Will's hand in her own.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said to him. The shorter blonde shifted awkwardly and mumbled a thanks. Jason leaned closer to Thalia.

"Will really loves Jake," the taller blonde whispered. "Like, really loves him."

"Ah," Thalia said, smiling at Will. "Then what are you doing here, stupid boy? You should be wooing your precious Jake, not serving me waffles and fruit salad."

"This is what my life is like now," Will muttered. "It could be worse though. I could have no friends at all." Jason raised an eyebrow to that. Was he Will's friend? He didn't think so. Not yet anyway. He may feel sorry for Will, but that didn't mean he forgave him just yet.

"Speaking of wooing Jake," the taller blonde said, leading the shorter blonde out. "Nico and I have a little plan…"

…

"Nico, I don't want to go out for pizza tonight," Jake complained as the dark-haired boy pulled him down the street. Nico hadn't given Jake much of a choice. He showed up at the brunette's house and dragged him out the door. Jake came along mostly because he was bored out of his mind. It was Sunday night and he had no plans. He wasn't expecting Nico back for another day, but he was glad to see the smaller boy. He'd grown rather close to the smaller boy and his tall, blonde boyfriend. And the faithful puppy that was Percy. Yes, he rather liked Percy, he mused as Nico continued to drag him down the street. Why the hell were they walking anyway? Oh well. Back to Percy. Or Will, the brunette thought with a scowl. He didn't want to love his ex-best friend, but that's what happened. Jake fell in love with the one person that would never love him back.

"Oh quit pouting Jake," Nico said. "You'll get to see Jason and Percy. Frank and Leo will be there too. Leo's quit following Will's orders because he feels rather bad for Jason and myself. Annabeth and Piper and Hazel are all going to come from my place. It'll be a real party." All that was the truth, just not the whole truth. Nico didn't add the guest of honor to that list. He wanted Jake to see for himself just how sorry Will was. Jason texted him and told him that they'd set something up for that night, because Will wanted to do it as soon as he possibly could.

"I still don't want to go," Jake said with a sigh as Nico pulled him into the pizza place. He scanned the crowded room and finally found their large group of friends in the back, talking quietly in a large huddle. He led Jake back and nudged Jason softly. The blonde turned and pressed a kiss to the dark-haired boy's temple.

"Good, you guys made it," he said. "Hullo Jake. I'm glad to see you out and about. I'm sure someone else is happy to see you too." Jason stepped aside and Will blinked, doe-eyed, at the brunette, who actually staggered back.

"Will?" he asked, his voice strained. "Why are you here? I thought you didn't care anymore." Will flinched away from Jake's harsh words. "I'm not staying here," Jake mumbled, turning to leave. But Frank grabbed him by the waist and hoisted him off the ground. "Oi, little giant, let me down," Jake said.

"No." Jake froze when he heard Will speak for the first time. "No Frank, don't let him go. He'll just escape before I can say what needs to be said." He glanced around at all the curious faces. Nico and Jason were side by side, smiling at each other. The shorter blonde boy looked at their combined hands. "Everyone, the reason I picked on Jason and Nico so much is because I'm gay, and I didn't want anyone finding out. I was so scared people would make fun of me for it, I beat them to the punch. I made their lives awful so my life wouldn't be awful. But it was wrong." He turned to face Jake. "It was wrong Jake. I never should've done it. If I lose my best friend because of this idiotic choice, I'll never forgive myself." Frank let the brunette down, and Jake stared at Will, uneasy. He didn't fully trust what Will was saying. How could he? He'd seen how Will acted around Jason and Nico. Then again, Will just outed himself to the pizza place. "Jake, you'll probably never forgive me for being the world's biggest jackass and the world's worst friend, so I want you to hear this now. I want everyone to hear this now. I love you Jake."

"What?" the brunette asked weakly. He gaped at Will, who stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his friend.

"You heard me," he whispered. Now it was more or less private. Will was still aware of everyone's eyes on them. "I love you Jake. I was always scared to admit it. I don't just love you, I'm in love with you. Head over heels in love." He was unaware of the fact the very people making this possible had said something along similar lines. "I can't imagine losing you Jake. I need you in my life." Suddenly, Jake laughed lowly.

"Stupid boy," he said. "Stupid pretty boy. I was never going to leave. I just wanted to wait until everything calmed down to talk to you. I love you too, though I'm sure you know that already." The blonde nodded, feeling his broken heart begin to piece itself back together. Jake stood on his toes and gently brushed his lips against Will's. The blonde twirled his friend around after that, enjoying the feeling of having someone who was well and truly his. Everyone crowded around to congratulate them, but first and foremost were Jason and Nico. Will still couldn't believe the two people he'd purposely tried to make miserable helped make him feel so happy.

…

"I'm glad they made up, I was getting sick of a mopey Jake," Nico said later in the night. After Jake and Will's kiss, everyone ordered pizza and they partied it up. Everyone was celebrating the newest couple, and the unofficial couple that brought them together. Jason still had pizza in the box beside him, but he was content to eat it for breakfast the next morning. Right now, his attention was focused on Nico. The dark-haired boy's head was on Jason's lap, and the blonde twirled his dark curls around his fingers. Every now and then, the blonde bent double and stole a kiss from the dark-haired boy. He hadn't felt this happy in what felt like forever. He hadn't known it before, but he was constantly on guard, even at home. You never knew when someone would pop out and make your life a living hell.

"Me too," the blonde said, smiling down at Nico. He had his nose in a book. Big shocker. He'd finished _Beyond the Test of Time_ some weeks ago, and now he was reading _Fangirl_. Jason would never get his taste, but he wasn't complaining. His Nico was happy. That's all that mattered. "Hey Neeks, I don't think I ever properly asked you out." The dark-haired boy looked up at him curiously.

"Really?" he asked. "I just assumed you had. I assumed we were boyfriends. Oh well." He gave a shrug of his shoulders and returned to his book. Jason wouldn't be able to see it, but he was smiling. He wanted to make Jason squirm, just a little bit. He felt himself being lifted and then Jason's hand slowly caressing his neck. He shivered. Jason always seemed to know exactly what to do.

"Well, Nico di Angelo, do you want to go out with me?" Jason asked, a sly smile on his face. "Want to be my boyfriend?" Nico smiled and tapped his chin like he was thinking about it. The smile on the blonde's face slowly melted away as he watched the dark-haired boy anxiously. What if Nico said no? What if he didn't actually want to make the commitment? A small worm of doubt was beginning to wiggle its way around the blonde's stomach.

"Of course I will," Nico replied at last, leaning against the blonde and closing his eyes. "I couldn't imagine being anything but." The blonde wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and kissed his temple. He then caught another whiff of mint. That's why he liked the way Will smelled! It didn't just remind him of Christmas. It reminded him of Nico.

"Don't forget," the blonde said. "Someday you'll be my husband." Nico laughed and leaned up to kiss the blonde.

"How could I ever forget?" he asked. "I think I was the one who first brought that up." Jason settled back against the couch and let Nico get comfortable against him. They had reruns of Dr. Phil playing on the TV, and right now, Jason couldn't imagine a more perfect evening. Sure, partying with his friends was fun. But staying in with Nico, that was the best. It was little moments like these that the blonde treasured. The way Nico looked curled up against his side. The shivers that racked his body as the blonde lazily traced patterns on his stomach. The blonde could feel Nico was finally getting some muscle mass. "Hey Jason?" Nico asked softly.

"Yes baby?" Jason asked back.

"I love you."

…

"So dad, you see the jam we're in," Percy said. He was in the office with Jason and Nico before school, talking with his stepdad. Now that the matter with Will was resolved, it was time to get Jason back in swimming and Nico on the tennis team. Nico happily swung his feet, which still didn't touch the floor. Percy was pacing in front of his stepdad's desk while the other two boys sat in the chairs. "Our coach was nice enough, but the tennis coach wasn't so much. He said he didn't want a gay boy in tennis. Nico winced and Jason instantly wrapped an arm around him. "Something must be done father. We can't have the coaches think they can get away with this. After all, Hurricanes support each other and boost each other up, not tear one another now." Paul nodded vigorously.

"Of course, of course," he agreed. "I will contact them immediately. Not only will Nico be put on the team, I will personally see to it that he plays varsity like he obviously should." He turned to the dark-haired boy. "I've heard about your performance in gym. As for you Jason, you'll get your spot back on the team. I'm sure your coach would be more than willing to put you back." Jason dipped his head gratefully.

"Thank you Mr. Blofis, Percy," he said. "Perce, what the hell would I do without you?" Percy smirked.

"Not a whole lot Jay," he replied. "Though I see you managed to do one thing yourself." Jason glanced down at his hand and smiled. He was holding tightly to Nico's, and the dark-haired boy was slowly running his thumb over his palm.

"Yes," the blonde replied. "I did, didn't I?" Nico smiled at him and kissed the blonde, wrapping one arm around his neck. Paul smiled. He was so glad to see his students getting along like that.

"Alright boys, you'd better head off before the bell rings. I have some phone calls to make." He watched as his stepson led the other two boys out. "And some firing to do," he added to himself, lifting the receiver up to his ear.

…

I think that's the last official chapter of the story. I'll do an epilogue set in the future, at their wedding, and then that'll be it. It's been fun everyone!


	14. Epilogue-Graduation

Okay, someone brought up a good point. I could make a college sequel for these guys, and I think I'll do it, mostly because I love these guys and partly because there's not enough Jasico on here. So instead of a wedding epilogue, we'll just skip a year. Woo, our babies are graduating!

…

It was the day Jason had waited for since he was a freshman. It was graduation day. So much had happened in a year. After their talk with Percy's stepdad, things got steadily better for the blonde and his dark-haired boyfriend. Coach Warren, the tennis coach, was fired and replaced with Ms. Hughes, a perky straight-out-of-college coach. She welcomed Nico on the team with open arms, and the dark-haired boy quickly became tennis MVP. Coach Hollindale, the swim coach, apologized and took Jason back under his wing. Jason was happy, but he quit swimming his senior year. Instead, he went out for cross country, and he placed first in every race. Nico joined Student Council and Book Club, no longer ashamed of being different. Will was now a book club regular, and Jake ran cross with Jason.

All in all, everyone was happier now that the blonde and the dark-haired boy were being left alone. Jason and Nico were certainly happier. Will disbanded his group of followers, and Principal Blofis threatened the whole school with detention if something like that ever happened again. Jason and Nico could now freely roam the school and hold hands or kiss in the hallways. Will and Jake also didn't have to hide either. Will outed himself first and was applauded. Jake followed suit shortly after, and was rewarded with the same treatment as Will. They'd even been nominated for cutest couple. That position of course went to Percy and Annabeth, who ended up winning by four votes. Jake and Will weren't hurt. In fact, they were the first to congratulate the couple. Percy and Annabeth would be moving in together this fall and attend New York University.

Graduation also came with a little sadness for the blonde. Nico got accepted into Harvard his freshman year, even being offered a full ride scholarship. He'd be stupid to pass up the opportunity. But that meant he would be moving away from the blonde. Jason was also staying in New York, attending The City College of New York for outdoor track and field, among other things. Will was moving across country with Jake. So the small, close-knit group was being dispersed. Jason wasn't sure how he felt about that. Sure, he'd still have Percy, his best friend, around, but he wanted Nico close as well. How would he fare without his little dark-haired joy?

"Oh, look at my handsome boys!" Jason's mom gushed as Jason and Nico got ready for graduation. Jason was wearing a light pink polo and dress pants under his deep blue robe. Nico was dressed in jean shorts and a white t-shirt. Funny. They seemed to switch wardrobes over the last year. In addition to Nico's robe, the dark-haired boy would have both a silver and a gold cord, gold for academics and silver for community service. When the dark-haired boy wasn't playing tennis, he was helping at the snack shack. He'd gotten over three hundred hours over the year, which still amazed the blonde. "Let me get pictures," Jason's mom continued, shoving a camera in Jason's face. "My boys' last day of school."

"Mother!" Jason exclaimed with a smile, shoving the camera away. "Not yet. We need to wait for Thals." Thalia was overseas in Romania, studying who knew what. But she expressed how happy she was all the time, and that in turn made the rest of the Grace family very happy. Hazel would be flying up from Mexico to watch Nico walk across the stage, which Nico was giddy over. Nothing like graduation to bring the families together. Nico emerged from the blonde's room wearing his robe. He smiled as the blonde's mom snapped pictures of him. Jason went over and wrapped his arms around the dark-haired boy's waist, drawing an extended and passionate kiss from him. "What will I do without you?" he asked when the smaller boy pulled away. "I can't believe you're leaving me," he added with a pout.

"Not forever silly," Nico said, tweaking his nose. "Just four years. You promised me a wedding, and damn it Grace, I'm getting it from you!" Nico laughed, but it sounded sad, like he couldn't believe it either. "Time will fly, you'll see," the dark-haired boy added quietly.

"But I don't want the time to fly if it means I won't see you," the blonde complained softly. "Nico, I miss you already, and you haven't even left yet. What am I going to do next week, when you're well and truly gone?" The blonde felt tears beginning to form. "Please don't leave me." Nico reached up and gently brushed away the traces of tears.

"Harvard is my dream school Jay, you know that," the dark-haired boy said. "It's just four years Jason. You'll see, it won't be so bad. You'll make a ton of new friends and forget about me in no time." Jason squeezed Nico's middle until he couldn't breathe. Then he loosened his grip and watched Nico gasp for air.

"That was for saying the most idiotic thing I've ever heard you say," Jason said, leaning down and brushing his lips against Nico's. "I will never forget you, my little bookworm. My life changed the day I met you, and I couldn't be happier."

"Same here, my blonde superman," Nico replied, leaning his head on Jason's shoulder. The blonde was pretty sure his mom was having a field day with that camera of hers, trying to capture every moment. "If you hadn't stood up for me that day in the locker room, I don't know what would've happened. But I'm so glad you did. I'm glad you pretty much forced yourself into my life. I needed someone to break down my walls a little bit. Thanks for doing that." Jason held Nico tighter to himself. He was surprised that Nico was the one who brought that up, because he believed it was he who'd needed to the push. After all, he'd been ready to throw in the towel when it came to the mysterious Nico di Angelo. Maybe it was Percy or his mother, or maybe his own subconscious told him to do it, but he continued to chase Nico down. Now Nico was his. Strange how love works, isn't it?

…

Jason wished so bad he was sitting by Nico, but the little dark-haired boy was a few seats away. They were separated by a kid with a last name beginning with E, Katie Gardner, and Mitchell Glenn, whom the blonde boy had never seen before this year. Nico stole glances at the blonde from time to time, and once, when Jason looked at him, he crossed his eyes, causing the blonde to giggle. Mr. Hollindale scolded them both for being disruptive, which just caused everyone in the entire line of chairs to giggle, so he threw up his hands and gave up, sitting down crossly in his seat. But Jason saw a gleam of amusement in his eyes. He wasn't really mad. He was just as excited as the class of seventy seniors. They were a really small class for living in NYC. Then again, there were several schools there, some better than others.

"And now, a moment everyone has been waiting for," Principal Blofis said from the podium, smiling at the seniors. "Will all the seniors please stand." Seventy people rose at once, doing last minute adjustments of gowns and caps and tassels. Jason didn't bother with his. He kept fixing them every five minutes. They should be perfect right now. Jason tuned out the first twenty people or so, clapping for Annabeth when her name was called. Percy whistled at her, and she blushed. He whooped when Nico was on stage, shaking Paul's hand. Percy, Will, and Jake joined in, and soon the small boy was more pink than tan as he took his diploma. But he grinned at his group of friends nonetheless. Jason's heart beat a little faster at that, seeing Nico smile. He was smiling at the very people who'd made his life hell.

"Jason Grace," Principal Blofis said. The blonde's feet took him up on stage on their own accord. He was aware of all the clapping, the whistling, even a cowbell, now doubt brought by his sister. But his eyes sought one person as he took his diploma from Paul. Nico was giving him the biggest smile he'd ever seen him give. He gave the blonde a thumbs up, and then pumped his fist in the air. He'd come so far since that shy, scared boy junior year, Jason mused as he joined the line of students going back to their chairs. His little Nico blossomed under Jason's care, but it was more than that. Around Nico, Jason felt the confidence to do whatever he wanted. Asking the dark-haired boy out. Outing himself to his friends. Comforting his enemies. The list went on, but those were some of the things the blonde thought about often. What would happen if he hadn't meant Nico? Certainly he'd still be closeted. But his life wouldn't be the way it was now.

"Congratulations, class of 2015, you are now alumni of New Haven." All seventy seniors broke into wild applause. "And now, as one, move your tassels from the right to the left." Seventy tassels moved in unison as everyone behind them hollered and clapped. Then, as one body, seventy students took off their caps and threw them into the air.

…

"Oh, that was fun," Nico said with a giggle, burying his face in the crook of Jason's neck. The blonde chuckled and gazed down at his little bookworm. He was having a small party in his backyard. He'd invited Nico and his family of course. And then Percy and his mom and stepdad. Then there was Annabeth, Will, Jake, Frank, Leo, Piper, and Travis and Connor Stoll, whom Jason had gotten to know from cross. He and Nico were currently stretched out on the blonde's hammock, swinging lazily in the breeze. Jason watched Frank shoot curious glances at Hazel, who was busy chatting idly with Annabeth and Piper. All three girls were happy to see each other again. Thalia was busy talking with Will and Jake, who looked both petrified and fascinated at the same time. Thalia had a long memory, and of course she remembered the ex-bully and his boyfriend.

"I'm glad to get rid of that school," the blonde finally replied. "Don't get me wrong, I was proud to be a Hurricane, but this is something else. I feel like we really did something Neeks." The dark-haired boy giggled again. He was in a really giddy mood. The blonde was glad for the fact though. Nico had been so quiet and reserved when he'd first met him. Now, he had more confidence.

"I bet you'll miss it by the end of the summer," Nico muttered into his shoulder. Was his head really still there? The blonde hadn't noticed. "Hey, can we get cake now?" the dark-haired boy asked. "My dad is gonna devour the whole thing if we don't get a slice." Jason wrinkled his nose in amusement. The dark-haired boy had a point though. His dad kept eyeing the chocolate cake, even though he'd already had three slices.

"You go get us some baby," the blonde responded, releasing the dark-haired boy. Nico maneuvered his way over to the table and began the task of cutting cake. Jason took the time to glance around his tiny, crowded backyard. Percy was sitting with Annabeth, their combined hands resting on the brunette's knee. Will was slowly caressing Jake's neck, causing the other brunette to shudder. The smaller blonde laughed lowly and kissed his boyfriend's cheek, causing him to blush. Jason smiled. He was glad those two were finally together. They'd been hiding their feelings longer than the blonde himself had been. Jason smiled as he saw Will lean in and softly kiss Jake. No one else seemed to notice the small exchange. Jason decided not to mention it to them. They deserved their privacy, after all.

"Here!" Nico said with a flourish, holding up a single plate of chocolate cake with two forks. He settled down beside the blonde and put it on his chest, giggling and taking one of the forks. He speared a bite and ate it slowly, smiling down at the blonde. "Aren't you hungry?" he asked the blonde, who removed the cake and sat up. That set the hammock swinging again, and Nico swayed as he was caught off balance. Jason wrapped an arm around his waist and steadied him.

"Careful baby," he murmured. "Can't have you falling off the hammock, now can we?" Jason picked up Nico's fork and held it out temptingly to him. Nico bit down, smiling as Jason slid the fork out from between his closed lips. "There's a good little Nico," Jason whispered playfully. His face fell as he gazed at him. "What am I going to do without you baby? I don't want you to leave me…" Nico crawled into Jason's lap and curled himself up, leaning his head on the blonde's chest. Jason wrapped his arms around him and rested his chin on the top of Nico's head. "Please don't leave me Nico."

"I have to Jason," the dark-haired boy said, obviously flustered. "I can't just pass on a full ride scholarship to Harvard. Do you know how many people wish they had that?" Jason glanced away, wiping the tears threatening to fall. He didn't want his little bookworm so far from him. "Aww Jay," Nico said softly, kissing his cheek. "I'm really sorry. If there was a way to bring you with me, I would. Be that as it may, you're mother needs you here. She'd be devastated if you left." The blonde glanced over at his mother, who was busy talking with Sally and Paul. All three were laughing at something Paul had said. The blonde sighed.

"I know Neeks," he replied quietly. "My mother was heartbroken when Thals told her she was leaving the country. She wouldn't want both her babies so far away from her. But I don't want to stay in New York if you aren't here." Nico reached up and gently touched the blonde's cheek.

"I know Jay," he responded. "I know. But we'll see each other again. And hey, if someone catches your fancy at CCNY, don't hesitate, okay? Don't wait up for me." Jason captured Nico's chin in his hands.

"Don't say such things!" he scolded. "Nico, it wouldn't be waiting up for you. It's waiting for the day you return. I don't care if it takes four years or forty years. There's no one else who would have my heart. It will always belong to you. Remember, 'All of me, loves all of you.'" The dark-haired boy gave him a wan smile.

"I'm just saying Jay," he said, closing his eyes. "But it's good to hear you say that. It gives me hope." Jason carefully lay back down on the hammock, pulling the dark-haired boy with him. Nico curled up on top of Jason, staring at the blue sky above them. Jason gently ran his fingers through Nico's dark curls, much like the first night Nico spent the night. The dark-haired boy practically purred with pleasure, and the blonde smiled. He would miss this when Nico left next week. So to make up for it, they would be alternating houses for the next seven days, ending on day seven with a camp out in Jason's backyard. Nico would be at Jason's from Monday until Wednesday, and then Jason would go back with him for Thursday through Saturday. Nico's suitcase was in Jason's room, and the blonde had dismantled his make-shift bed. Chances were, Nico wouldn't even use it. "Whatcha thinking about, superman?" Nico asked softly, pressing his lips to the blonde's ear.

"How much fun the next week is going to be," the blonde replied automatically, leaving out the part about how Nico would leave. "And about how sick my mom will be of us by Wednesday. But that's okay. You're pretty much family as it is. She's going to have to get used to you at some point, right?" The dark-haired boy giggled.

"Of course," he responded. "Someday, I really will be family!" The blonde laughed. That much was true.

…

"Do you have everything?" Jason asked for perhaps the hundredth time in an hour. Nico rolled his eyes and stuffed the last of his suitcases into his little grand prix. He'd gotten the car over the summer last year, so he was the chauffer. He closed the trunk of his car and turned to face the anxious blonde. The week had gone by way to fast. Saturday night, Jason surprised Nico with a home-cooked dinner. He hadn't wanted the night to end, and hours after the dark-haired boy fell asleep, Jason stared at the ceiling of the tent, wishing tomorrow would never come. But it was Sunday. The Sunday Nico was leaving.

"I have everything, my blonde superman, don't worry about me," Nico said, an amused smile playing on his lips. "You don't need to be the hero anymore. Just live your life, okay?"

"My life is leaving me today," Jason said seriously, wrapping his arms around Nico's waist and drawing him close. "My whole world is going to be at Harvard for the next four years. I don't think I can take it." He leaned down and softly brushed his lips against Nico's. "Any chance I can convince you staying here would be better for both of us?" Nico laughed, low and sad.

"Not a chance Grace," he said. "Harvard is where I'm meant to be. You'll be fine. Remember what I said about dating." Jason wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

"It won't be the same," he said miserably. "I want you, Nico. What about that concept is hard to get. I don't want any bratty frat boys. I want my Nico." He hugged the dark-haired boy to himself. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Nico said, sounding more subdued. "But I have to get going Jason. I need to get settled by four." The blonde released the smaller boy, stepping back as Nico slid behind the wheel. Jason leaned through the open window and kissed him, deep and passionate. Then pulled back. Nico gave him one last smile before pulling away from the curb and merging into traffic. Jason sat down on the curb and stared at the cement. He just watched the boy he was head over heels in love with leave. There went his entire world. The blonde felt hollow, even after a few hours had passed. What was he going to do without his little bookworm? What was he going to do without his precious Nico?

…

And that's the end. I hope everyone liked it as much as I did. And keep watch for the sequel, which may or may not be multi-chap.


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